MULTICULTURALISM AMD MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN ORIENTATION TO THE CURRICULUM

' by P.W. Matthews

INTRODUCTION: ; •, (+ ;' ' ■= i : -Over the last decade, the concept of multiculturalism has gathered force as that national cultural policy to replace the discredited earlier assimilationist policy which, under a variety of names, has .prevailed since about 1915. Con­ currently, multicultural education has emerged as a new field of education and, as is to be expected in an evolving situation, there has been little clarity of orientation in developments to date. In this paper the nature of multiculturalism. is explored and the nature of multicultural education - as the educational , •: response to multiculturalism - is examined. * - .

PAST NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICIES:

The responses by the dominant ethnic groups throughout Australians history towards the ethnicity of the non-dominant groups have been almost always: negative. Thus, at varous times, the following policies have been, followed:

a. ____Extermination . ; - -.-.^r j-.-; -j This was the major orientation towards Aboriginal-Australians throughoutL most of the colonial period.

b. ____Separatism : . From the end of the nineteenth century until the present, many administrations . have pursued this policy. For Aboriginal-Australians this has meant being confined to reserves and the like, while for numbers of other ethnic minorities, e.g, Greek-Australians and Italian-Australians, it has meant that their cultures have been excluded from the public sphere.

c. ____Assimilation ' ;' This policy, the internal component of the externally directed White Australia policy, has been the dominant policy at least since about the start of the First World War. Its basic tenet was that Australia was a raonocultural, Anglo- centric and Anglo-conformist country in which the cultural heritage of;all its members was or had to be drawn from England or Great Eritain. There was thus no place for "ethnic minorities”?, 'their numbers had to assimilate. It was not until the late 1960s and early 1970s that it-.was realized that this policy, which had been successful to a degree in earlier years, was not being , 79/9/40

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successful with the post world war 2 immigrants. The policy was then changed to "integration" which in practice simply meant slow assimilation.

MULTICULTURAL!SH;

Since about the late 1960s, however, national cultural policies have been increasingly under evaluation and there has been a search for a national cultural policy more in harmony with national cultural realities. Two tyres of mohocultural societies have been rejected: firstly, that of an Anglo-A.us.tralian society j.n which all would conform to Anglo-Australian ideals and, secondly, that of the "melting-pot" in which all would change, though to varying degrees, and a mono- cultural Australian society, differing to an unknown degree from an Anglo- Australian society, .woul4; .emerge. ~

More and more multiculturalism. has been advanced as that policy which would replace mohocultural national policies. However, great care must be taken to ensure that the issues are clarified and that the various types of multiculturalism (and hence!'of multicultural societies) are distinguished from each other. Most importantly, it should be understood that currently the major thrust in , "multiculturalism" is towards the recognition of ethnic diversity and not to the recognition of multiculturalism along other lines. Some types of multiculturalism ■are: •’> ' .

a'._____Descriptive ':MUit icuiturali sm This type is simply -statistical. A society is multicultural because the papulation comes fromKhL diversity of ethnic backgrounds.

b. Tokenistic Multiculturalism Within the society, various manifestations of ethnic diversity are allowed, but only in so far as they do not interfere with the overall goal of assimilation.

£_._____ Multiculturalism-for-assimilation . This; policy consciously supports the ethnic diversity of its population in order to facilitate the assimilation process. Thus the. Bilingual Education Act in the United States of America deliberately sought to support students from non-English speaking backgrounds through using their mother-tongue while they were learning English. When enough English was learnt, the use of the mother-tongue was to he discontinued. ^ 'r ;

d.____ Hierarchical multiculturalism In this 'ype of society, e.g., a slave society,'a colonial society, or an assimilationist immigrant receiving society, the ethnic diversity is found only in the lowest socio-economic1 'stratum. To move out of that' stratum* ,'tHe individual must either assimilate or must be skilled in "passing", i.e. appearing to be a meiitber bf 'the dominant ethnic group while in the company of members of that group.

e. ____ Regional multiculturalism This type is based on historical claims to territory and takes two forms. Firstly, there are nations such as Canada (English speaking versus French speaking), India and Switzerland where ethnic diversity is regionally based and is accommodated in administrative structure, e.g., provinces, states and cantons. Secondly, there are countries Where the historical links are not recognized in administrative or political divisions; typical of these countries are France (with the Basques, Bretons, Catalans, Alsatians and Occitain speakers) and Spain (with;Basques, Catalans and Gallicians).

f. ..y-Qpen multiculturalism This is the type of multiculturalism that is being seen as appropriate for Australia as, apart from Aboriginal-Australians, no other ethnic group has group claims to territory. What is important is the ethnic identity of Australians; through the acceptance of the principle of equality of ethnicities, each Australian would be able to maintain their ethnic identity at all levels in 3

the society, thus being occupationally and socially upwardly mobile without having to change their ethnic identity. In all cases that ethnic identity vrould be embedded within an Australian national identity.

ETHNIC IDENTITY:

A. key concept in multiculturalism is thus ethnicity or ethnic identity. It is a difficult concept to appreciate because, like all concepts related to culture, there are many variables, many choice patterns and many differences of degree involved. However, an individual's ethnic identity is that facet of the individual that is related to the group from which the individual derives or believes that he or she derives his or her cultural origins. The components of that ethnicity are many: language, tradition , religion and values concerning family and interpersonal relations and many other things. In all cases, the combination of components is complex and different, clearly, for each ethnic group, i.e., one ethnic group is delineated from another by its unique combination of components.

However, when it comes to the individual's ethnic identity other factors come into play. Thus one's ethnicity is a personal factor defined by oneself rather than by outsiders. Thus individuals can choose:

a. To change their ethnic identity

b. How much of the ethnic group's culture they wish to absorb (i.e. they may belong to the group but have learned only a few characteristics of the group) and c. To manifest their ethnicity to varying degrees, depending on the soeio-cultural situation (i.e. a person can manipulate their ethnic identity in the same way that they do their other identities).

Four further points need to be noted about ethnicity - firstly, ethnic identity is non the same as racial identity; secondly, ethnic identity is not the same as national identity and, thirdly, ethnic identity is not related to migration or migrants simply because everyone has cultural origins and hence an ethnic identity.

A fourth point, tied in to the second point, is perhaps the most important. Ethnic groups in Australia are Australian ethnic groups. Thus Australian ethnic groups are not simply transposed national groups which have an independent existence in Australiaj an existence tied closely to the life of the nation or locale from which the original migrants came. Rather, since the first members of any ethnic group came to Australia, the culture of the group here has evolved away from the culture of the place of origin and has evolved Australian forms for all components of the culture of the ethnic group. Some may hanker for the "pure" culture of origin, but the reality is a dynamic, evolving, needs- satisfying Australian ethnic culture.

NATIONAL IDENTITY:

Ethnicity is a factor which groups, or tends to group, individuals into small socio-cultural units. However, all Australians - irrespective of ethnic identities - are members of the one multicultural nation. Thus the individual's national identity, as an Australian, is also a significant component of multi­ culturalism. as a national cultural policy. This raises the issue of what does it mean to say that one is an "Australian"? And clearly, in a multicultural Australia, the response must be that an Australian is an individual of any ethnic background who adheres to that set of national core values that are deemed to be those which distinguish Australians from members of other nations. - 4 -

National core values are not easy to define or clarify as they only become consciously important in times of national crisis. However, in the move from monocultural policies to multicultural policies, it seems certain that a set of core values should be articulated. The sorts of values which could be appropriate are; a. That the cultures of all ethnic groups should be respected equally. b. That individuals should be free to maintain their Australian ethnic identity to whatsoever degree they so wish (but see (g) below). c. That individuals should be free to change their Australian ethnic identity. d. That Enolish should be the national language of Australia. n e. That parliamentary democracy should be the political model for Australia. f. That political antagonisms of the countries cf origin should not become part of the political process in Australia. g. That in cases of conflict between national core values and ethnic core values, e.g., in matters of life and death and the curtailment of liberty, ethnic core values should give way to national core values; and h. That the specific contributions of all ethnic groups to the development of Australia over the centuries should be familiar to all Australians.

ETHNICITY AND NATIONAL IDENTITY;

Given the above points, it is necessary to indicate the relationship between the ethnic and national identitites of an individual. There are two facets to the relationship. Firstly, it has been suggested that "ethnic identity" is an Aus ralian ethnic identity, drawing upon diverse cultural traditions but embedding them within the one national tradition, Australian. Thus Polish-Australians, Peruvian-Australians and Philirpino-Australians are all Australians, adhering to the one set of national core values, but differing the one from the other in finding a specific ethnic heritage more important to them than other ethnic heritages.

The second facetyls related to the "purposes” cf the two identities. An individual's national identity, internalizing national core values, enables the individual to participate fully, effectively and equally, in terms of equality of ethnicities, in the national life. An ethnic identity, because it provides multi-faceted relationships which arise from the sharing of clusters of values at the ethnic group level, appears to be a major avenue at a sub-national level for the development of satisfying social and cultural relationships with others at that level between the family and the nation. Thus ethnic identity emphasizes "Gemeinshaft" or community, while national identity emphasizes "Gesellschaft" or society.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION ; CONCERNS AND AIMS: « .

The term "multicultural education" has come into prominence over the last few years and it has meant many things to many people; E.S.L. education, things "ethnic" in the curriculum, some aspects of teacher training, and so on. However, with the concept of multiculturalism becoming clearer in its implications at the societal level, it is apparent that education has to be - 5 -

concerned wi t h four things. These are:

a. The student's Australian ethnic identity

b . The student's Australian national identity

c. The inter-relationshipb etween the student's Australian ethnic identity and the student's Australian national identity; and

d. The interaction of individuals from different Australian ethnic b ackgrounds w ithin the one multicultural Australian nation.

With these b ecoraing new concerns of education, it is clear that the term 'multicultural education" can be utilized to refer to that part of general educationwhich is specifically chargedwith ensuring that those four concerns are incorporated into the curriculum. If this is accepted, it is possible to suggest that the aims of multicultural education could be: ■<

- a. To develop in all students- an appreciation of the nulticulturality of Australian society throughout its entire history

b. To develop in all students- attitudes, beliefs and values appropriate to life in a multicultural Australian society

c. To develop in all students- behaviourwhich increases interethnic harmony and decreases interethnic tensions

d. To develop in all students - an awareness of the contrib ution which different ethnic groups, including the student's cwn, have made and are making to the development of Australia

e. To enable students to develop their cwn Australian ethnic identity and

f. To develop in all students — an Australian national identity and a sense of personal worth as a merb er of a multicultural Australian nation. 6

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION : SCHOOL BASED PROGRAMMES:

To achieve the above aims, it is suggested that five school-based programmes need to become incorporated? in various ways into the curriculum. It should be noted that multicultural education is an umbrella term which subsumes five specifically named programme's.; multicultural education Is not itself a subject and thus should never appear in a timetable as such.

In detail, the five programmes can be delineated as follows: a. ____Multicultural Perspectives to the Curriculum ' Australian-oriented perspectives need to pervade ail parts of the curriculum, e.g., history, social studies, art, physical education, languages (other than English and for multicultural and intercultural purposes rather than as language study itself), craft work, games, sports. And so on. Such perspectives dual with the ethnic diversity of the Australian population. b. ____Education for Intercultural Understanding This programme, a difficult, one to implement and - like multicultural perspectives to the curriculum, one that could be incorporated into,dny curriculum area - is concerned with values, attitudes and beliefs and behaviour appropriate to life in a multicultural society. Specifically, these would.be looked at in so far as they are: ' . .

i. about one's own Australian ethnic group; ii. about other Australian ethnic groups; " 'J iii. about the Interaction of people from different Australian ethnic groups; and iv. about actual behaviour which increases interethnic harmony•: and decreases inter-ethnic tensions in Australia.

Three points need to be noticed about these two programmes. Firstly, they should be regarded as being the two halves of the same programme. They are separated for convenience in that while multicultural perspectives to the curriculum are basically concerned with cognitive arid - in sports and games - action aspects:’of a multicultural society, education for intercultural understanding is clearly concerned with the affective aspects of the same gerieral issue, the multicultural nature of Australian society. The convenience arises because while the first one, multicultural perspectives to the curriculum, Is fairly straight forward, the second one, education for intercultural understanding, is much more complicated to effect in a classroom and school.

The second point is that of their relationship with what may be termed "global multiculturalism", the traditional concern of social studies, modern languages education and many other curriculum areas. • <• ' her •'-- - ■ The relationship is simple. Children grow up in a multicultural society and, as part of their primary enculturation, should become familiar with the multi- culturality of their own society; these two programmes are concerned with developing and consolidating children's early multicultural experiences. Subsequently, as children gain a wider socio-cultural horizon, global multicultural dimensions are incorporated into the curriculum, e.g., regional studies, Asian studies, modern languages, world problems and so on. The two are not in contradiction to each other; rather Australian multiculturalism provides the foundation for global multiculturalism.

Thirdly, these two programmes are relevant to all children in all schools in New South Wales. The society they live in is a multicultural society and the society they will move into as adults will also be a multicultural society. Students everywhere must thus be able to live effectively and at ease in a multicultural Australia. This is the aim of these two programmes. 7

The other three programmes cater for specific groups of students according to interest and need and of course according to the availability of resources such as personnel. These are:

a^_____ Ethnic Studies These may be regarded as in-depth studies of specific Australian ethnic groups, for example, Scottish-Australians, Aboriginal-Australians and Italian-Australians. Aboriginal-Australians have a u-niauc history, culture and evolution as a group, and for the other groups it must be borne in mind that they have all evolved, to varying degrees, away from the cultures of origin, and all have an Australian history. It is this latter dimension which will be the difficult one to incorporate into school programmes as, apart from the resource that for some schools the local ethnic community may provide, much of the work in firstly writing the histories of Australian ethnic groups and, secondly, producing materials which teachers and students can utilize, is yet to be done. Ethnic studies for students of the ethnjjtf'^eoup;,concerned are aimed at enhancing the student's ethnic identity while ror other students ethnic studies can increase their understanding of the multicultural nature of Australian society.

b._____ Culture-Through-Language Education The teaching of languages In primary schools is a relatively recent innovation in Government schools in New South Wales, but is one that could have a bright future because local language communities and hence native speakers of the languages exist in abundance in Australia. This is especially true of those programmes which can be called community culture-through-lahguage programmes as the students can learn from a variety of community sources: native speaking peers, parents of their peers, community members and, of course, the teacher. It is not so true for those programmes which can be termed foreign culture-through-language programmes where, in general terms, the opportunities for learning the language will come mainly from the teacher. Learning a community language can increase all students' understanding Of the multicultural nature of Australian society while learning one's own language can enhance the student's own self concept as a member of a specific ethnic group. c_._____ English as a Second Language Education This is for those students who do not speak English as their mother tongue. In a multicultural society in which a significant proportion of the population speaks languages other than the dominant language, those from the linguistic minorities should have the opportunity to learn the dominant language. In Australia this is English, and the fields of ESL, EFL and, more recently, English as a second dialect education have all developed to meet the needs of different groups of students from no:: -English speaking backgrounds.

CONCLUSION;

There has been much vigorous debate over the past ten years about the socio­ cultural nature of the Australian nation. This debate has had two major foci- the evaluation of the monocultural Anglo-Australian ideology that has been a major factor of Australian life over the past sixty or so years and, for those who felt that this ideology was no longer relevant to the socio­ cultural nature of Australian society of the 1970s and beyond, the development of a nev; national culture policy more in harmony with national cultural realities, a policy which has been termed multiculturalism. Clearly, multi- culturalism is not yet a fully fledged national cultural policy, and it will be many years before its implications are worked out for all parts of Australian society. However, it is clear that two key concepts are Australian ethnic identity and Australian national identity,with their correlates,ethnic and national core values, and that much of the task ahead is to incorporate these in the various Australian institutions and organizations. - 8 -

One such institution is education and, .because of education's traditional role in passing on to the new generations the .wisdom of the past generations, this is the one area where, as a new national cultural policy evolves, the challenges are considerable. However, with the increasing clarity'about the nature of Australian multiculturalismeducation :an now come to grips with the fundamental issues raised by being in a multi ultural society which seeks national unity within which there is ethnic diveriitv.

It has been suggested that in an open multicultural, society there- are four broad areas of concern for education arising from the multicultural nature of the society and that the task of ensuring that these are incorporated into the curriculum becomes the responsibility of a fieli of education which! can be called multicultural education. It is to be noted that multicultural education must always relate its specific aims and objective’s to those of general education, and that it cannot be regarded as something isolated and esoteric. It must be regarded, if not at first then certainly later : as the field develops, as arising from and being linked back into general; educational principles and practices.

It has also been suggested that five school-based programmes car be regarded as the scope of multicultural education. The major focus of these programmes is Australian in nature, concentrating on the Australian ethnic an^’national identities of the students, and building upon the enculturation process of the early years. The current thrust is seen as putting into’the curriculum., both generally across the curriculum and as specific prccrrammes, those. ,rmissing dimensions" now regarded as significant, which to a considerable extent .had been ignored in the past. These dimensions are those that deal with tlje multiculturality of Australian society. This thrust does not exclude the "global raulticulturalism" of traditional multicultural programmes; rather Australian-oriented multicultural education should provide the base 'for the traditional programmes, thus building concerns for humans everywhere on the skills and insights developed from the many facets of the student's own multicultural society.

Multicultural education is in its infancy in Australia, and it will develop a dynamic of its own the more rr ~z •— — ’ Iticulturalism itself becomes bb"ber articulated as a national cultural policy. It behoves all of us i’l'b t*1© Held of multicultural education to ensure that what we do in- its is n<. - based on catch cries and slogans - the bane of all educ- inuovatroi - but rather is based on soundly reasoned and edudationa11y sound hilosophies and practices. Above all multicultural education must be del. ofl and practised as an itegra.1 .part of general education.

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