Education in a Multicultural Society: What Sort of Education? What Sort of Society?

Abstract

Multiculturalism is a concept whose use is characterized by currency rather than consensus. In fact, so great is the ambiguity associated with the term that it has been suggested that it is ready for the conceptual graveyard (Stent, 1973). Since education itself has rarely been free from controversy, it is hardly surprising that the issue of multicultural education is both confused and contentious. Carlson (1976), commenting on this confusion, observed: Multicultural education (MCE), as described by many of its advocates, is a of assertions and which need to be examined. To those who make the largest contributions to education- namely, individual teachers and students in specific communities - the assertions and often make little sense. (p. 26) Despite the ambiguities in terminology there appears to be little disagreement that Canada is a society characterized by ethnic and cultural diversity. However, differences arise from consideration of the appropriate responses to this diversity, by society in general and the school in particular. This paper endeavors to negotiate a path through the labyrinth of assertions and assumptions in order to clarify some of the concepts associated with multiculturalism and multicultural education. The paper argues that issues in multicultural education inevitably pose questions of purpose in the wider society and that different images of Canadian society demand different responses from the school system. Several different visions of society are outlined and the paper attempts to examine the extent to which each is relevant to the Canadian context and congruent with a particular interpretation of multicultural education.