I just graded the first set of response papers. Several students highlighted a fundamental tension in the field of multicultural education:There is a tendency to think about diversity in a very limited way.
Indeed, I have struggled with this for years and it's one reason I've adopted the more sociocultural approach: it is more inclusive. So what's the problem? What's the tension?
The tension/controversy is that by being all-inclusive, we water down the very complex, meaningful, and relevant-as-ever issue of racism. It's more fun to talk about all sorts of diversity and inclusion and avoid the negative and difficult-to-talk-about issue of race. We also don't have to confront our own privilege if we are white. How do we acknowledge the history and current day meanings of race and still address all types of diversity? That is the question . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment