Multiculturalism and Citizenship Education - Essay Example

Multiculturalism and Citizenship Education Multiculturalism is a belief system that champions the idea of welcoming and allowing the existence of different cultural groups within a race or society. This is a principle that has been highly contested. This ideology comes with different issues such as nationalism, citizenship and identity and is hounded by the problems of racism, discrimination, cultural diversity. Multiculturalism is essentially possible but necessary steps need to be taken in order for this to work beautifully. Society still has a long way to go with regard to this matter. For this to work, society should learn to acknowledge the existence of cultural minority groups in their locale. A common issue that arises is the problem of stereotyping. People have preconceived notions about certain groups of people which often result in conflicts. These preconceived notions are most often based on stories that have been handed down from generation to generation, blindly trusting in the words spoken without finding out the reality them. To prevent problems regarding race from getting worse, proper education is needed. More than putting forward a sense of belongingness, citizenship offers a person or a citizen more than just his rightful place in this world. Along with a person's citizenship come a set of rights he is entitled to such as the right to vote, the right to acquire property and so on. With these rights also come a set of responsibilities, among which are obeying laws set by the government. (Family Guardian Fellowship n.d.). However, this is not enough. Citizens should be taught to acknowledge the existence of distinct cultural groups within the race. With this will come a better understanding other groups and their role in society which will lead to better interactions among groups. Bernard Crick has this to say with regard to educating the public about citizenship, "Citizenship is more than a subject. If taught well and tailored to local needs, its skills and values will enhance democratic life for all of us, both rights and responsibilities, beginning in school and radiating out. " (Citizenship Foundation n.d.., page 1) In the quote in the previous paragraph, Bernard Crick points out that citizenship should not be treated as just a subject taught in school. After finishing school, one is supposed to be equipped with the proper skills, inculcated with the right values that would enable a person to be an active, contributing member of society. This, of course, would vary depending on a nation's culture and need. Such a heavy burden lies on the shoulders of educators who are faced with the task of imparting knowledge and moulding the minds of the world's future leaders. They should take great care in doing this and in setting the right examples so as not to misinform students. On the part of the students, they should realize that once they have passed the subject, the matter of citizenship does not end there. After they leave school, it seems that they have forgotten about their lessons and go back to the old practices that put people of certain cultural backgrounds in stereotypes. In his article Multicultural Citizenship and post-devolution Britain: an analysis of minority rights, political representation and redistributive justice, Tristan Clayton associates the recent changes that have occurred in the British political landscape with several contentions in Will Kymlicka's work in Multicultural Citizenship. According to Clayton, Kymlicka claims that living in a culturally diverse society is achievable and necessary. Geographically speaking, the different areas in a country has different types of climates, terrain and resources This leads to the fact that people that come from different parts of the same country may have adversely different sets of inherent cultures and beliefs. According to Clayton, Kymlicka attests that given this innate organization, the issues that concern groups of different cultural orientation should be addressed in such a way that all groups will have a rightful, fair advantage. (Clayton 2000) In Clayton's article, he mentions that Kymlicka believes in welcoming diversity. From a more political standpoint, rather than creating policies that would put certain limits on the rights of minority cultures, theories that aim to protect the rights and freedom of these minority groups should be considered. Rather than restrict, lend a helping hand. Clayton alleged that it is in this way that relationships among the different cultures in society may improve and incidences of discrimination lessened. (Clayton 2000) To help work out solutions about this matter, it is strongly suggested that citizenship education be given emphasis in formal education. This should be administered to students by schools at an early age. The earlier a person is informed of this rights and responsibilities, the broader and deeper his understanding of the matter develops as he ages. A possible result of this is a better understanding of his or her role in society. This will eventually lead to better citizens with a real sense of compassion and sensitivity towards the community. This development will ultimately lead to building a better society. The Department for Education and skills in England indicates three critical elements that teachers need to impart to their pupils in teaching citizenship. The first is social and moral responsibility. Students should be taught to be proud of their native roots and should turn out to be responsible members of society by being sensitive of the needs of others and be respectful and acknowledge those in positions of authority. The next is community involvement. Early on in their lives and in their education, students should be taught that they are a part of society. As such, they should develop awareness of the events happening around them and do their share to contribute to the betterment of society as a whole. The third is political literacy. Pupils should always be informed of the current state of the government, the people who run it and learn about relevant issues and play an active part in improving their country by using their skills they have acquired through education. (Department for Education and Skills n.d.) The educational system in England addresses this by including subjects that teach about cultural diversity in England. A study in diversity and citizenship in the curriculum conducted by Uvanney Maylor and Barbara Read, with Heather Mendick, Alistair Ross and Nicola Rollock at the London Metropolitan University revealed the extent of knowledge about diversity taught in various British Schools. The study revealed that most subjects on multiculturalism included topics that were mostly about the indigenous British groups. Most subjects dwelled only on the subject of cultural minorities. The study exposes that the existing curriculum offers only a very limited scope of the matter. In this particular study, a pupil had said that they don't learn about different people that live in Britain, they just learn about people and their different cultures. On one hand, the study has laid bare the weaknesses of the current curriculum. One the other hand, this shows this move by the British educational system is making considerable progress over the years because students' horizons with regard to cultures have been expanded. The students are now aware of the different groups existing in their locale. There is now the sudden interest in learning about other groups of people. The real issue at hand is the improvement of the curriculum to offer more information and include more cultural groups to satisfy the pupils' appetites for more information on diversity. (Maylor n.d.) The Crick report makes a general definition of citizenship and likewise makes very general recommendations at which education and society can contribute to a better democracy. The report tackled issues as a whole and in the process left out some major problems and issues. (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 1998) For Osler and Starkey, the Crick report, has overlooked some human rights issues, the matter of racism and gender. Osler and Starkey have noted section of the Crick report, which stated "Majorities must respect, understand and tolerate minorities and minorities must learn and respect the laws, codes and conventions as much as the majority - not merely because it is useful to do so, but because this process helps foster common citizenship". The distinction made between "majorities" and "minorities" is so conspicuous that the statement sounds one-sided, in favor of the "majorities". ((Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 1998,page 17) In this light, great care should be taken in formulating government policies. Lawmakers should be considerate of all cultural groups and make sure that policies put in place will benefit all groups and not serve to the advantage of some. Since time immemorial, it has been the goal of civilization to achieve unity in diversity as best expressed by Gandhi's famous quote "the ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and test of our civilization". It has been because this point has not yet been reached that a lot of problems have sprung up and brought terrible conflicts, wars and injustices to mankind. ( BANKS, JAMES A. and BANKS, CHERRY A. McGEE and CORTS, CARLOS E. and HAHN, CAROLE L. and MERRYFIELD, MERRY M. and MOODLEY, KOGILA A. and MURPHY-SHIGEMATSU, STEPHEN and OSLER, AUDREY and PARK,CARYN and PARKER, WALTER C. 2000, page 2) With the growing trend of migration among people of most countries, it is important for one to have a clear sense of identity. This is particularly true among people from the more indigent parts of Britain who hope to seek greener pastures in the form of migrating to other parts of the UK to seek employment. It is also equally important that one should learn to accept and appreciate one's origins and other cultures as well. This ensures that one does not 'lose' oneself in the process of embracing another culture at the same time this allows the individual to be resilient. A person's sense of nationalism and patriotic pride should be intact so he himself is not misled into thinking that he should abandon his roots at the same time acknowledge the fact that each person should take pride in the cultural elements that make up every fibre of his being. One must learn to acknowledge the existence of other people and cultures. One must realize that we may be different but we are entitled to equal rights. Moreover, a healthy attitude towards cultural diversity will greatly help a migrating individual adapt and survive in new surroundings. It is in the educational system that this burden lies. The strength of the educational system's implementation of citizenship education will be put to the test in the way an individual interacts with people from other cultural backgrounds. With the popularity of concepts such as globalization, among others, citizenship education should be able to provide the necessary skills and values to individuals. Globalization involves the dynamic interaction among people of diverse nationalities and cultures. Especially in the world of business in technology, major players are quick to embrace this concept and use it to their fill advantage. To be able to take part in this active development, one must be prepared for anything. It means learning as much as possible about the world and the people around oneself. . ( BANKS, JAMES A. and BANKS, CHERRY A. McGEE and CORTS, CARLOS E. and HAHN, CAROLE L. and MERRYFIELD, MERRY M. and MOODLEY, KOGILA A. and MURPHY-SHIGEMATSU, STEPHEN and OSLER, AUDREY and PARK,CARYN and PARKER, WALTER C. 2000) The Race Relations Act of 1976 is a piece of legislation in the UK that prohibits the discrimination and any form of unfair treatment towards any person on the basis of one's race, colour, nationality, citizenship, and ethnicity. The provisions of this act enumerate the rights of every citizen with regard to interactions among groups in different sectors of society. Aside from defining what is unlawful in the eyes of the law on account of one's racial background, the act also has sections that encourage positive roles for public authorities to serve as good role models in advocating racial equality. When engaging in business or other interactions, it is not inevitable that one might encounter incidents where prejudice, discrimination and racism are on the forefront. It is during these times that one's knowledge, skill, values and strength of character come into play. This is also the arena where one's education can prove its mettle. ( BANKS, JAMES A. and BANKS, CHERRY A. McGEE and CORTS, CARLOS E. and HAHN, CAROLE L. and MERRYFIELD, MERRY M. and MOODLEY, KOGILA A. and MURPHY-SHIGEMATSU, STEPHEN and OSLER, AUDREY and PARK,CARYN and PARKER, WALTER C. 2000) It can be noted that the inclusion of subjects on citizenship and cultural diversity in education have been fulfilling the task of broadening the opinion of students about other groups of people, minorities in particular. What was once fear of the unfamiliar has been replaced with a healthy curiosity to know more and understand better the history and culture of others. However, efforts in this regard still need to be improved. More and more people have become more aware of this fact and are eager to learn more about other countries and embrace their distinctions. This is a very good thing as a better understanding of other people leads to a better understanding of themselves which further leads to an improvement in the interaction among cultural groups. This may mean less cases of discrimination and the possible emergence of a more harmonious society. Previous efforts are still insufficient as issues regarding multiculturalism continue to exist. The process of understanding other cultures goes far beyond acquiring knowledge about history and way of life. It involves the acceptance of such cultures. We should always exercise a conscious effort to be accommodating and sensitive towards other people and their rights. Bibliography BANKS, JAMES A. and BANKS, CHERRY A. McGEE and CORTS, CARLOS E. and HAHN, CAROLE L. and MERRYFIELD, MERRY M. and MOODLEY, KOGILA A. and MURPHY-SHIGEMATSU, STEPHEN and OSLER, AUDREY and PARK,CARYN and PARKER, WALTER C. . Democracy and Diversity. 22 August 2000. http://depts.washington.edu/centerme/DemDiv.pdf (accessed February 28, 2007). National Curriculum for England. http://www.nc.uk.net. http://www.nc.uk.net/webdav/harmonisePage/@id=6001&Session/@id=D_pgvvD0gnsQtRq0sropw8&POS[@stateId_eq_main]/@id=10164&POS[@stateId_eq_note]/@id=10164 (accessed February 27, 2007). Citizenship Foundation . http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk. http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/main/page.php286 (accessed February 17, 2007). Clayton, Tristan. "Multicultural Citizenship and post-devolution Britain: an analysis of minority rights, political representation and redistributive justice." University of Aberdeen. August 2000. http://www.abdn.ac.uk/pir/postgrad/vol1_issue3/issue3_article2.pdf (accessed March 2, 2007). Department for Education and Skills. http://www.dfes.gov.uk. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship/section.cfmsectionId=3&hierachy=1.3 (accessed February 28, 2007). Family Guardian Fellowship . DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENS IN A FREE REPUBLIC. http://famguardian.org/Subjects/LawAndGovt/Citizenship/DutiesOfCitizens.htm (accessed February 27, 2007). Maylor, Uvanney and Read, Barbara , with Mendick,Heather , Ross, Alistair and Rollock, Nicola. Diversity and Citizenship in the Curriculum: Research Review. http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspxPageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DFES-00045-2007 (accessed February 28, 2007). Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. "Education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools." http://www.qca.org.uk. September 22, 1998. http://www.qca.org.uk/downloads/6123_crick_report_1998.pdf (accessed March 2, 2007). Wikipedia . Multiculturalism. February 28, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiculturalism (accessed February 28, 2007). Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org. February 23, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship#Responsibilities_of_Citizenship (accessed February 27, 2007). Read More