Social Questions and Multicultural Education - Research Paper Example

Social Questions and Multicultural Education Gender With respect to the study area, gender herein refers to a term that is used generally to mean dispositions accorded to human beings with regards to their physical as well as psychological processes. This is the view on a broader basing. To stem this definition down further, gender gives the simplistic definition touching on attributes around human life like general attitudes, individual behaviors, mental processes and social criteria that are connected to the individual’s perceptions of gender (Ahmed,2004) . Class Also in regards to sociological question, class is defined as an organization of a given social grouping; which are characterized by similar rights, perceptions if not qualities, and duties. These are most often founded innately on one side and through socialization on the other side. As an end, class is deemed with the task of founding a culture since there it forebears a routine within the organization in question. It is therefore no surprise that the local societies as well as the world over are usually classified. This alone describes the functionality definition of “class.” (Askew & Carnell, 1988). Sexual Identity This refers to an identification paradigm based on sexuality, partly describing the gender but broadly established on roles. It fuses both the psycho-social identities to the physical parametric observations and end with individualized perceptions of themselves. In the long run sexual identity focuses on the various customs within an individual about their sexual life. This is different from other the observation in other animal kingdoms which is specific to the task of reproduction. Sexuality, viewed in this regard in the human kingdom would just be but the tip of an iceberg. Why is this so? This is because human beings have in the recent past lived in such an advanced era that they have changed the original mode of reproduction. In the modern times, reproduction can be fully made a success even in a modern laboratory (Department for Education and Skills, 2007). Ability and Disability Ability Ability in its broadest terms refers to the capacities vested within an individual that make them capable of performing various tasks and achieve the results expected, or leas, close to the same. From the foregoing and relevant to the subject area, ability generally connotes the cognitive ability. For this reason, a concrete definition of this term must be tied to the intuitive values stemming from the capabilities definition of ability. In a nutshell, ability is thus the mental capacities within an individual to perceive and reason out. From its innate nature, it is tied to the fact that nature depicts a system of variety which displays the fact that various entities exist in different dimensions. This is because a student, for example, who doesn’t get well acquainted with simple skills, taught; which are in contrast viewed by another as “chicken feed” displays such a reality (Weare, 2004). Disability In contrast to ability, disability denotes cognitive incompetence an individual suffers in their endeavors to add up to new skills, attitudes, knowledge and dispositions. The person in question is a victim of natural co-existences. This makes them have gradual control over their entire experiences and ultimately may have a grasp of their aspired courses. What this means is that the person in question doesn’t suffer a permanent condition, though long lasting in nature; this is however remedied through the incorporation of frequent practices on specified tasks. For a long time however, such an identity has been faced with innumerous challenges due to the massively widespread alienation. This has been from parallel classes as well as some expertise personnel who have most often acted unprofessionally to help avert the same consequences often pre empted. This is referred to as stereotyping whence the expert, for instance, the teacher in a class room situation, classifies the students in order of learning capabilities (Weare, 2004). Multicultural Education Multicultural education according to me is the criteria based on the methodology and general approaches by which we can achieve the process of instilling attitudes, dispositions, skills and attributes on a learner’s domain of cognition. It generally points out to the variety of appropriate options that can be used to achieve successful learning. In this sense, the instructor as well as the curriculum in question must put into considerations various aspects encompassing learning. For instance, the learning environment, individual capacities, mental readiness of the students, ethnic and environmental background among other societal varying fundamentals when it comes to socialization process. As a way to exemplify, multicultural education is directed towards cohering various methodologies of the learning process in a culturally dynamic learning set up, so as to achieve the best output so far. One would for example consider the environmental background of the learner when using an example in introducing a given subject area. It would be with futile implications if a religion student of Islamic standing is addressed on the Roman cultural dimensions in the entire subject of a given lesson. This in consequence points out to the instructor’s role in achieving a multicultural education. Key to this achievement is the curriculum in use just as I have mentioned above. Alternate Definition and Theory of Multicultural Education Multicultural education can be defined based on three inputs, or basically on three dimensions, thus; “Multicultural Education is at least three things: an Idea or a concept, and educational reform movement, and a process.” (James & McGee, 2010, p.3). In their view, the author’s main point of concern is the fact that all students should be provided with similar education opportunities, regardless of their age, race, gender, nationalities, or even background experiences. More than this, they also appreciate the fact that some students will always enjoy the benefits that from their abilities, basing on the natural consequences of their capabilities. This has to be point out t any anyone pursuing in this discipline that this must not be viewed as a stereotype, but rather innate skills. However, it can be used in understanding the cause and nature of various stereotypes such underachievers. Two Additional alternate definitions and theories of multicultural education Other definitions emanating on multicultural education based on some scholarly works include; Multicultural education is a holistic dimension of approach towards education, both as a process and as a means. In this respect, a cosmopolitan set up could describe the intended meaning of this definition. Due to this, the education is fused with the learning attributes previously acquired at the pre-school level, and generally at home where most socialization takes place and tremendously is always a determinant towards the learning of a student. Other than this third alternative scholarly definition, the other definition of multicultural education can be summed up as; An approach that in its action is progressive in nature, and that which is providing a remedy to all the shortcomings of the previous attempts that have underscored the original intentions of education. This is to say that the education in use must be on a continual basis of observation alongside continually keying out feedbacks in form of critiques, to help streamline the resulting methods and overall effects of the system in place (Crystal, 2002). Comparison and Contrast key elements between my definition and the other 3 alternate positions researched Comparing my understanding on the definition of multicultural education and that of the other scholarly sources, it emerges that all the definitions are directed towards describing the paradigm as a holistic process that is viewed to remedy a looming shortcoming on the process and overall success of education. It most of all makes the observation that there exists a complex entity of students or subjects who are consumers of a product of a given system. As a result this transforms into the need to address individual concerns of the subjects; but because this may seem way too expensive and time consuming, an efficient approach is designed to cater for these quests, and thus multicultural education defines the approach. Impact of research on personal and professional research From the foregoing, I must admit that the research has given me a broadened perspective of various social issues in connection to multicultural education. For instance, I could be able to observe that multicultural education cannot be defined with respect to a specific historical timeline. This is because with the emergence of new problems and techniques in the field of education, there should be a consistent response on the same so as to achieve most effective actions to address them. In addition to this, I could be able to observe that there are numerous and emerging sexual identities also awed to the dynamically transforming society. I therefore have no doubt that in the near future; we may be trailing on a vast ocean of confusion. This I am confident about because we have not yet addressed emerging concerns fully, yet new and more complex ones are already evident. Action plan for raising personal awareness based on the aforementioned philosophies TIMING ACTIVITY Week 6 Research on more theories and Dimensions of Multicultural Education Week 7 Research on present or emerging problems with Sexual Identities Week 8 Relate specific Sexual Identities as stereotypes in Multicultural Education Week 9 Conduct a self evaluation on the above outlined tasks References Ahmed, S. (2004) The Cultural Practices of Emotions. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press. Askew, S. & Carnell, C. (1988) Transforming Learning: Individual and Global Change. London: Cassel. Crystal, D. (2002) Language Death. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. Department for Education and Skills (2007) Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning for Secondary Schools (SEAL). Guidance. Department for Education and Skills. James, A. & Cherry, A. (2010) Multicultural Education Issues and Perspectives: Seventh Edition. USA. John Weley and Sons. Weare, K. (2004) Developing the Emotionally Literate Schools. London. Paul Chapman Publishing. Read More