Betsey Barnett, PhD Session 1.

4 MCS 105 1

What does Multicultural mean?

Think about this word ‘multicultural’. Start a list of examples you think of for this term. Some
people use this word to mean ‘many cultures’ (as in, ‘multi’ means ‘many’, ‘cultural’ means
‘culture’). Some use it to mean something like ‘the art, music, food, dance, of a culture not my
own’. Others use it to when they mean ‘outside the United States'. Because this word
multicultural has so many meanings, we have to be clear with each other about what we mean
when we say it, especially in the context of a required multicultural course, in an academic
setting. It is not uncommon for a word to have one meaning in popular usage, and a different meaning in academic
usage. This is a critical point: In this academic context, we are using the word multicultural to mean something
different, more complex, less superficial, than its popular meaning.

History of Multicultural Studies at Shoreline

Beginning in 1989, as the original General Education Committee at Shoreline Community College contemplated
establishing a multicultural course requirement, a campus-wide discussion emerged about the content and process that
such a multicultural requirement might include. A research team consisting of faculty members and administrators from
across the campus was convened. As we discussed how to implement a multicultural requirement at Shoreline
Community College, we asked three critical questions:

A. What is the challenge we wish to address in implementing a required multicultural course?

B. How have other colleges and universities resolved this challenge?
C. What does the research tell us about best practices in attempting to resolve the challenges we wished to
resolve?

Here is a summary of what we found:

A. What is the problem or challenge we wish to address in implementing a multicultural course requirement?
Shoreline had then and has now, divergent and deeply held convictions about the content and process of multicultural
understanding. Some constituents believed that the problem to be solved was that students didn’t know much about
specific cultural practices around the world. Others thought that a related problem was that students didn’t know enough
about political and economic issues internationally. Still others thought that the major problem to be solved was the
problem of prejudice reduction and social justice, both domestically and internationally.

The research team agreed that all of the problems identified were important. After extensive research, we determined
that many of the problems identified could not be effectively mediated by a single multicultural course requirement. In
addition, many of the goals expressed were so diffuse that a single multicultural requirement would not be appropriate to
address them. Eventually, we judged that the major issue that could be explored in a 3-5-credit course requirement was
the issue of prejudice reduction and social justice. We limited the scope to domestic issues, because that is how much
we thought we could accomplish in eight or ten weeks.
Betsey Barnett, PhD Session 1.4 MCS 105 2

B. How have other colleges and universities solved this problem?

During the time that Shoreline was conducting this research, the team participated in a three-year Cultural Pluralism
Project in association with the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and funded by a Ford Foundation grant.
As a result, we had widespread access to information about how other colleges and universities had tried to solve the
problem of prejudice reduction and social justice. Sleeter and Grant (1993) reviewed at various times all of the published
research that included multicultural in the title, both in K-12 and in higher education. In other words, when programs used
the word ‘multicultural’ to describe their work, what did that mean to them? They developed a typology and an analysis of
the stated goals of the most common approaches. As you read through these common approaches, think about the ones
you have experienced:

Teaching the Culturally Different: The goal is to help minority students develop competence in the public
culture. English as a Second Language programs commonly use this approach. Such programs are very
effective in teaching about culture, but they do not have goals in prejudice reduction (our class will not do this).

The Human Relations Approach: Emphasis is on improving communication between people of different cultural
backgrounds. Courses in Human Relations and Communication Studies commonly use this approach to diversity
and multiculturalism. There is no evidence that teaching students to communicate more effectively reduces
prejudice (we will do some of this, because good communication skills are useful, but this is not where we will
focus our attention).

Single Group Studies: Focuses on the experiences or cultures of a specific group such as an ethnic, racial or
cultural group. This approach is effective in prejudice reduction if it concentrates on domestic groups, and
includes a framework related to issues of access to power and privilege in a particular society (we will do some of
this, only to become aware of the patterns of US history in its interaction with specific groups).

Multicultural Education: This approach pays the most attention to specific goals and objectives in prejudice
reduction and social justice by promoting strength and value of cultural diversity and distribution of power among
members of all ethnic groups (we will do some of this through our reading of US history).

Education that is multicultural and social reconstructionist: This approach extends the goal of the
multicultural education approach, and prepares learners to take social action against social structural inequality
(this is where we will spend most of our time, trying to see from more than one point of view).

Take a minute to look at these approaches again. If you have participated in multicultural education in the past, do any of
these approaches look or sound familiar to you? Do any match what you thought you would be studying? Keep thinking
about this as you read on.

B. What does the research tell us about best practices in attempting to solve the problems we wished to solve?
Betsey Barnett, PhD Session 1.4 MCS 105 3

Although there is still much controversy associated with this research, we determined that IF the goal of our multicultural
course requirement is prejudice reduction and social justice, then the research recommendations become more specific.
The research on Best Practice in prejudice reduction and social justice suggests that Education that is multicultural and
social reconstructionist from the Sleeter and Grant typology is the most effective of the models evaluated.

Faculty and administrators from across the campus served on the committee that worked to develop the general
education outcome in Multicultural Understanding, presented here (you may recognize them as the Learning Outcomes
for this course):

Multicultural Understanding – General Education Outcome

Students will demonstrate understanding of issues related to race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and
culture and the role these issues play in the distribution of power and privilege in the United States.

I. Demonstrate awareness and knowledge of contemporary culture in the context of comparative US history as it
relates to race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and culture.
A. Compare histories of diverse peoples in the US.
B. Articulate concepts of culture and cultural identity.

II. Using awareness and knowledge about multiculturalism and various groups in the United States, identify
issues of power and privilege that exist in all interactions.
A. Students will describe personal and institutional biases, emotional responses, behaviors, practices and
language that impact individuals and groups.
B. Students will describe specific benefits and costs to individuals and groups directly related to race, social
class, gender, sexual orientation, disability and culture.

III. Function effectively in multicultural settings.

A. Use appropriate communication strategies to work through differences.
B. Make judgments and decisions by considering as many points of view as possible.
C. Recognize individual power and privilege.

IV. Demonstrate awareness, knowledge, and skills in creating greater equity and social justice.
A. Identify the benefits of multicultural understanding for personal and global survival and growth:
B. Adapt constructively to situations in which race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disability and culture
affect people’s experiences.

In this course, whenever I say multicultural, as in multicultural studies, multicultural education, multicultural perspectives,
multicultural competence, I am always talking about race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, sometimes religion and
disabilities, and their relation to power and privilege in a society.
Betsey Barnett, PhD Session 1.4 MCS 105 4

Just to clarify:
♦ When I want to say something about ‘the art, music, food, dance, of a culture not my own’, I use the term
‘cultural’.
♦ When I want to say something about ‘outside my country’, I use the term ‘international‘
♦ When I want to speak about ‘race, social class, gender and their relation to power and privilege, I use the term
‘multicultural’.
♦ Note that there is some overlap among these three terms. Can you think of some examples of issues or events
that could be both cultural and multicultural? International and multicultural? Cultural, international, and
multicultural?

It is not uncommon for terms to mean one thing in general conversation, and something more specific in academic
conversation. You may need to adjust your concept of how we use this term 'multicultural' in the context of this course.

Whenever you hear or see the word ‘multicultural’, try to decide what meaning of the word is being used. Is the
speaker/writer talking about multiculturalism as race/social class/gender, or do they mean international or
cultural? Do a quick Internet search on this sentence: What does Multicultural mean? Look at the first few hits;
see how they are using the term 'multicultural'. Online students write about your insights in the Discussion
Forum. Hybrid students write about your thoughts in your notes and be prepared to discuss in f2f class.