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Multicultural Education and Democratic Enhancement
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Dr. Tina Mavrikos-AdamouAmerican College of ThessalonikiHistory and International Relations DeptP.O. Box 21021Pylea, Thessaloniki555 10 GREECE
## email not listed #### email not listed ##
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND DEMOCRATIC ENHANCEMENT
Prepared for Delivery at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science
Association August 28- August 31, 2003.
Copyright by the American Political Science Association
Introduction: Problems of Definition
Multiculturalism and particularly multicultural education have emerged in the post-1989 era as important movements intended to supply a means of explaining and understanding today’s pluralistic societies. Problematic is the ubiquitous usage of the terms, and the fact that both multiculturalism and multicultural education have different meanings and usages in the USA and Europe. Multiculturalism for example, has been defined as a condition, as a set of principles, and even as a policy, depending upon the author’s usage.
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In the USA, multicultural education has been adopted as a
means by which to incorporate individuals and groups who were previously left out of the educational curriculum, particularly minority groups of color, the underprivileged, etc. Within the USA, one can draw attention to a considerable number of authors concerned with the adaptation of multicultural educational practices.
2
In Europe, and in particular southeastern Europe (henceforth SEE) which this paper will focus on, multiculturalism likewise rests on varying interpretations and definitions, distinct from those found in the USA. Multiculturalism in SEE is used to address concerns such as: migration and immigration; the mobilization of religious minorities from east to west, particularly the movement of Muslims towards the west; minority groups such as the Roma minority, and their peripheral social, political and economic status vis-à-vis the mainstream culture; and issues relating to diverse linguistic groups now inhabiting the same nation-state. Discussions of multicultural education, where found in SEE, have addressed issues of reforming history curriculum, educating educators, and reforming universities. However, much less discussion has taken place in this region as to how to adopt the principles and practices of multiculturalism and multicultural education and to use these as a means by which to assist these societies found in SEE in their transition to democracy and its consolidation. Therefore the focus of this paper will be to uncover how multicultural education might be used as a vehicle for changing attitudes and perceptions held on the part of citizens. A movement towards educating students in SEE and particularly in the Balkans concerning respect for diversity appears to be a necessity, as individuals have to acquire the ability to comprehend that differences do not necessarily have to be accompanied by negative characterizations. Too often one finds that the peoples of the Balkans have been taught to despise their neighbors simply because they speak a different language, or because they are of another
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| | Authors: Mavrikos-Adamou, Tina. |
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Dr. Tina Mavrikos-Adamou
American College of Thessaloniki
History and International Relations Dept
P.O. Box 21021
Pylea, Thessaloniki
555 10 GREECE
## email not listed ##
## email not listed ##
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND DEMOCRATIC ENHANCEMENT
Prepared for Delivery at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science
Association August 28- August 31, 2003.
Copyright by the American Political Science Association
Introduction: Problems of Definition
Multiculturalism and particularly multicultural education have emerged in the post-
1989 era as important movements intended to supply a means of explaining and
understanding today’s pluralistic societies. Problematic is the ubiquitous usage of the
terms, and the fact that both multiculturalism and multicultural education have
different meanings and usages in the USA and Europe. Multiculturalism for example,
has been defined as a condition, as a set of principles, and even as a policy, depending
upon the author’s usage.
1
In the USA, multicultural education has been adopted as a
means by which to incorporate individuals and groups who were previously left out of
the educational curriculum, particularly minority groups of color, the underprivileged,
etc. Within the USA, one can draw attention to a considerable number of authors
concerned with the adaptation of multicultural educational practices.
2
In Europe, and in particular southeastern Europe (henceforth SEE) which this paper
will focus on, multiculturalism likewise rests on varying interpretations and
definitions, distinct from those found in the USA. Multiculturalism in SEE is used to
address concerns such as: migration and immigration; the mobilization of religious
minorities from east to west, particularly the movement of Muslims towards the west;
minority groups such as the Roma minority, and their peripheral social, political and
economic status vis-à-vis the mainstream culture; and issues relating to diverse
linguistic groups now inhabiting the same nation-state. Discussions of multicultural
education, where found in SEE, have addressed issues of reforming history
curriculum, educating educators, and reforming universities. However, much less
discussion has taken place in this region as to how to adopt the principles and
practices of multiculturalism and multicultural education and to use these as a means
by which to assist these societies found in SEE in their transition to democracy and its
consolidation. Therefore the focus of this paper will be to uncover how multicultural
education might be used as a vehicle for changing attitudes and perceptions held on
the part of citizens. A movement towards educating students in SEE and particularly
in the Balkans concerning respect for diversity appears to be a necessity, as
individuals have to acquire the ability to comprehend that differences do not
necessarily have to be accompanied by negative characterizations. Too often one
finds that the peoples of the Balkans have been taught to despise their neighbors
simply because they speak a different language, or because they are of another
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