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Basic concepts of multicultural education in Canada. Multicultural education in the USA American model of multicultural education

Initially, research on intercultural communication was undertaken in the United States in connection with the need to study the problems of confrontation between different racial and ethnic groups. The existence of cultural differences characteristic of multicultural societies could not but affect the education system. Thus, in recent years in the United States, it is an obvious fact that representatives of various cultural and racial groups must learn to get along together and respect different cultural traditions. As a result, there have been changes in approaches to teaching in schools, which has led to the development of a multicultural education that includes respect and recognition of the languages and cultures of all ethnic groups.

As a multinational, multiethnic state, the United States is influenced by cultural and informational transformations and migration processes taking place in the modern world. Under these conditions, the problem of acculturation, adaptation to each other of representatives of numerous cultures, nations, races, inhabiting and arriving in the country, is very relevant.

Cultural diversity is a core value of American society when education is aimed at developing an individual with creative critical thinking, intercultural competence, social and global vision.

Today, multicultural education has been elevated to the rank of US educational policy, included in the list of government goals and programs in the field of education (Bilingual Education Act (1968), Education for All Handicapped Children's Act) (1975), the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (1987) and others). The issues of multicultural education are discussed by leading educational organizations: the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the National Education Association (National Education Association - NEA), the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). ) and others. In 1990, a special professional organization was created - the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), there are research institutes, centers that conduct numerous national and international forums on the problems of multicultural education.

Currently, among the US universities, on the basis of which multicultural research centers have been created, the leading ones are Washington, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Indiana, California, Houston and the University of San Diego. The American experience in this area deserves careful consideration and careful analysis.

In the second half of the twentieth century. the main goal of multicultural education in the United States is to create conditions for obtaining quality education at all levels by all students, regardless of racial, ethnic, social, gender, cultural, religious affiliation, and the main task is to eliminate all forms of discrimination, incl. on racial lines as the main cause of inequality in society. The emphasis on the idea of racial equality of citizens of a multicultural society distinguishes the American interpretation of multicultural education from the European one, where the idea of a dialogue of cultures is brought to the fore.

Multicultural education in the United States has an evolutionary nature. It is rooted in the ethnic studies of African American scholars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. and works on issues of intergroup learning in the mid-twentieth century, subsequently transformed into intercultural learning, which acquires the status of multicultural due to its focus on the problem of humanization of relations between members of the same ethnic community that have social, economic, political, religious, language, gender, age differences .

The absence of a universal approach to the definition of multicultural education among American scientists confirms its multifaceted nature, which can be traced in the following areas:

Descriptive-prescriptive, within which a description of the ethno-cultural diversity of the United States is presented and options are proposed to meet the educational needs of students of various ethnic and cultural groups;

Effectively reformatory, providing for changes in the educational system in order to legally consolidate new relations in society based on the recognition of the value of all ethnic and cultural groups living in the United States;

Procedural, emphasizing the continuous nature of multicultural education, which does not allow it to be reduced only to a separate course of study or program.

Multicultural education is a special way of thinking based on the ideas of freedom, justice, equality; educational reform aimed at transforming traditional educational systems in such a way that they correspond to the interests, educational needs and abilities of students, regardless of racial, ethnic, linguistic, social, gender, religious, cultural affiliation; an interdisciplinary process that permeates the content of all disciplines of the curriculum, teaching methods and strategies, the relationship between all participants in the educational environment, and not individual courses; the process of familiarizing students with the wealth of world culture through the consistent assimilation of knowledge about their native and national cultures; equipping students with the ability to critically analyze any information in order to avoid false conclusions, the formation of a tolerant attitude towards cultural differences - qualities necessary for life in a multicultural world.

The main content characteristics of multicultural education include: its anti-racist focus; compulsory for students of all ethnic and cultural groups; focus on achieving social justice; continuity and dynamism; liberating, transmission, transactional and transformational nature, since multicultural education allows a person to go beyond their cultural experience, transfers ethnocultural knowledge, provides interaction with representatives of different cultures, fosters civic responsibility and political activity to implement the ideals of a democratic society.

The development of the system of multicultural education in the United States is carried out in many directions: 1) penetration into all spheres of the main forms of human social life, expanding the capabilities of the individual (civil, professional, family, personal); 2) rethinking the meaning of multicultural education in society (transition from a one-dimensional interpretation of multicultural education as a separate curriculum to its association with worldview and special behavior); 3) raising multicultural education to the rank of the leading direction of the educational policy of the country; 4) a significant increase in the number of colored Americans among students and graduates of universities, teachers and teachers, administration of educational institutions; 5) increased attention to the field of teacher education (the formation of students' ability to benefit from cultural diversity) and work with families of students.

a) content integration - implies the ability of the teacher to choose examples from the material of an ethnic nature that explain to students the key concepts, theories and concepts of a particular discipline;

b) knowledge construction process - helps to learn about the influence of stereotypes and prejudices within a particular discipline on the knowledge construction process of this discipline. This aspect includes four approaches to the analysis of ethnic information and the way it is included in the content of the academic discipline:

Contributory and additive approaches that do not affect the structure and goals of the main program. In the first case, the integration of the ethnic component occurs at the level of individuals, elements of culture or significant events in the history of the people, and in the second case, it is supplemented by the introduction of special courses or sections of ethnic content;

Transformational and "social action" approaches, in which the goals and structure of the main program undergo significant changes. In the first case, students get the opportunity to see historical events not only through the eyes of white Americans, but also of other ethnic groups, and in the second, they learn to make social and political decisions within the framework of the topic of study;

from) elimination of prejudice - covers research on the methods and techniques used by the teacher to instill in students a positive attitude towards various racial, ethnic and cultural groups;

d) pedagogy of equality - emphasizes the ability of the teacher to use the cultural characteristics of the child as an advantage, not a disadvantage;

e) school culture and social structure - raises the question of the close relationship between the learning expectations of the teacher from his students and the performance of the latter.

The problems of upbringing and education, due to cultural and ethnic differences, are one of the central ones for the world school and pedagogy. In Western countries, we are talking about the implementation of a democratic pedagogical strategy in a multinational social environment. Almost all the largest countries in the world belong to multinational communities. This gives rise to the need for multicultural education as an important social principle and priority. The special relevance of multicultural (multicultural) education is exacerbated by socio-demographic shifts, the strengthening of the processes of national and cultural self-determination, the presence of aggressive nationalist sentiments in the world community.

According to experts, multicultural education is designed to increase the effectiveness of education and upbringing (1).

It makes it possible to find a way out of the situation when students from ethnic minorities receive a defective education, as it implies, along with introducing them to the dominant culture, the use of the spiritual values of minorities as an indispensable component of education.

Multicultural pedagogy, as Western researchers believe, is promising for civic education in a multi-ethnic society (2). It aims to train active citizens of society. Multicultural education plays a special role in the formation of a new content of citizenship as a consequence of socio-economic globalization.

In Western Europe, where civic education takes place against the backdrop of active economic and political integration, the problem of taking into account the cultural and educational needs of not only national minorities, but also small states has become more acute. The problem is exacerbated by American pseudo-cultural expansion. In light of this, taking into account the educational needs of small peoples looks like a way to ensure the development of a pluralistic European identity. Multicultural education takes on the dual function of shaping the citizens of a united Europe - cultivating national characteristics and overcoming national antagonisms.

Multicultural education has much in common with international education. At the same time, multicultural pedagogy has specific addressees and accents. Its priorities are the formation of the experience of moral behavior, the dialogue of cultures. It is intended for a general society and is focused on the pedagogical problems of the relationship between macro- and subcultures within such a society. Accordingly, the denial of education outside these cultures and national values is emphasized, and the development of the individual as the focus and intersection of several cultures is encouraged. Thus, taking into account ethno-cultural characteristics is put in the foreground.

In today's Western world, it has become common

phenomenon of multiethnic and multiracial

educational institutions. For Europe and Australia, polyracial schools are quite common. In the US, this is a consequence of desegregation, in South Africa, the abolition of apartheid. These institutions are making efforts for multicultural education: interfaith religion classes, holidays and festivals dedicated to different cultures are held, teaching, in addition to the dominant one, of minority languages is organized. Among the priority areas of multicultural education is pedagogical support for immigrants. It is carried out in different types of pedagogical work, such as: linguistic support (bilingual education), socio-communicative support (introduction to the culture of the dominant nationality), work with parents.

Multicultural education has affected not only secondary schools. There is a growing awareness of the need for large-scale implementation of multicultural higher education. The idea was reflected in the programs of higher education in a number of countries, for example, the USA, Canada, and Spain. Multiculturalism is carried out in the process of continuous (lifelong) education - in cultural and educational centers, with self-education, in the family, church, public associations, with the help of the media.

Western countries where multicultural education is carried out can be divided into several groups: with historically long and deep national and cultural differences (Israel, Spain, South Africa, etc.); turned multicultural due to their past as colonial metropolises, immigration from the second half of the 20th century (Belgium, Great Britain, France, etc.); arising from mass voluntary immigration (USA, Canada, Australia); Germany and Italy, standing apart because of their recent past (softer attitude towards immigrants). In these countries, multicultural education has common and special features.

In Europe, the course towards multicultural education is officially recognized. The EU countries have repeatedly confirmed the need for multicultural education. This position has been recorded in numerous documents of the Council of Europe since 1960. An important reason for multicultural education for Western Europe was a large influx of immigrants, which led to qualitative demographic and economic changes.

For example, in the UK by the mid-1990s. the number of immigrants from the Muslim world amounted to almost 1 million people. In Germany, the number of immigrants increased from 4.1 million to 7.3 million between 1974 and 1997, accounting for about 9% of the population. In France, by 1990, the number of immigrants was about 4 million (3).

In the official statements of the European Union, it is proposed to cultivate friendly relations between ethnic groups, to prepare young people for life in a heterogeneous cultural environment. The presidents of Germany R. Herzog and I. Rau spoke about this (1996, 2000). The need to preserve all cultures through education is declared by the report "Education for All" (4).

Frankly speaking, in Western Europe there is a turn from the ideas of assimilation of national minorities to a course towards multicultural education. For example, the National Association for Multiracial Education in the UK (NAME) has gone from a benevolent intention to help minorities immerse themselves in the dominant culture to a program of pedagogical support for cultural diversity.

In the United States and Canada, education on a different ethnic basis has proved to be a powerful tool for the development of society. In the US, the population united around the Anglo-Saxon Protestant core, whose culture remains dominant. In Canada, the foundations of a bilingual culture were laid by settlers from Britain and France. The need to take into account multi-ethnicity and multilingualism in education is an objective consequence of the history of the two countries. Natives from Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia brought multicolor cultures. The descendants of immigrants strive to preserve the cultural heritage of their ancestors.

Multicultural parenting in Canada and the United States is becoming increasingly important due to ongoing demographic changes. The influx of immigrants has increased in recent decades. By the beginning of the 1990s. The number of immigrants to the United States has tripled since the mid-twentieth century. The geography of immigration is changing. If before almost half of it was Europeans, then by the end of the twentieth century, up to 90% of immigrants were from Latin America and Asia.

The United States has created a legal framework prohibiting racial discrimination in education. At school, episodic pedagogical events with information about the culture and way of life of Hispanics and African Americans are replaced by systematic efforts to eliminate racism and other national prejudices, to study the spiritual values of small cultures.

In Canada, multicultural education enjoys ongoing government support. It is regarded as an important tool for creating a civil society on the basis of national ideals and spiritual values of ethnic groups. The authorities encourage the aspirations of national communities to preserve languages and cultural traditions through upbringing and education.

Bilingual education in the USA and Canada is implemented in a variety of ways. In the United States, the main manifestations of bilingual education are support for the study of the native language through a certain organization of education and teaching materials, teaching a second language, creating bilingual classes and schools.

The programs assume that students must acquire competence in the language and culture of the majority, which will provide the necessary level of communication in society. In Canada, bilingualism consists primarily in teaching in two official languages - English and French. A special role is played by the so-called. heritage classes (minority cultures), where immigrant children are introduced to the culture and language of their historical homeland. In heritage classes, half of the study time is devoted to learning the language, literature, history, and music of the historical homeland.

Assessing the state of multicultural education in Western countries, it should be recognized that it is still not a priority of education and pedagogy. It is only a very important tool for mobilizing labor resources for the private and public sectors of the economy and ensuring stability in society. Such “inconvenient issues” as inter-ethnic conflicts, ethnic (nationalist) stereotypes, and cultural prejudices are often hushed up at school.

Meanwhile, the multicultural personality is by no means of genetic origin. It is socially determined and must be educated.

Birsk State Socio-Pedagogical Academy

r [email protected]

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1 Dzhurinsky A.N. Problems of multicultural education in foreign pedagogy//Questions of Philosophy. - 2007. - No. 10. - P. 44.

2 Banks J.A. Multicultural Education: Development. Dimensions and Challenges//Phi Delta Kappa. - 1993. - September; Luchtenberg S. The European Dimension and Multicultural Education: Compatible or Contradictory Concepts?//Paper Presented at the Conference of the CESE. – Copenhagen, 1994.

3 Humanization of education. - 2001. - No. 1.

4 Education for All. — L., 1985.

FROM THE SITE EDITOR.

It seems that in our republic, as in other Baltic states, the practice of ousting the Russian language from the spheres of everyday communication and education at all levels does not correspond to the emerging practice in many Western countries. And this is the path to assimilation.

Masalimova D.F., Masalimov R.N.

Canada is a multinational country, one of the first countries in the world where the study of such a concept as "multicultural education" began. The accumulated experience of Canadian and American researchers is valuable in the field of multicultural education, as evidenced by the references in the works of domestic researchers to leading scientists representing the image of multicultural education in Western countries.

The purpose of the study: on the basis of theoretical analysis, to identify the main theories and concepts of multicultural education in Canada.

Theoretical methods were used: analysis, systematization, generalization.

There are certain differences in the views of Canadian scientists, which consist primarily in the fact that the education of citizens in the spirit of multiculturalism is placed at the forefront in the strategy for achieving Canadian identity. The dominant pedagogical tasks are the desire to cultivate a tendency to balance, compromise, tolerance and mutual respect, pragmatism, (rationalism), rejection of forceful decisions.

The development of multicultural education in Canada has developed in stages, since 1970, bilingual programs began to appear in the country in conjunction with cultural and educational activities; in 1980-2000 regional components were introduced into teacher training programs, the inclusion of a component in the elements of the curriculum, and students' competencies were formed for life in a multicultural society.

The United States had a great influence on the development of multicultural education in Canada. At the beginning of the development of multicultural education in the United States, the idea of \u200b\u200ba "melting pot" dominated, namely the pedagogical ideas of ethnocentrism. These ideas soon lost their relevance and were replaced by the idea of cultural pluralism.

One of the brightest representatives of the United States, who studies multicultural education, is James Banks. J. Banks was a supporter of the fact that school education is an integral element in the development of a multicultural society. The school, in his opinion, is a tool for establishing interaction among representatives of different cultures. The basis of his concept of multicultural education is the "theory of multiculturalism". J. Banks believes that multiculturalism will allow the student to feel in a comfortable environment for him and enjoy not only the benefits of his own culture, but also get the best qualities of another culture that was created at the macro level. Representatives of the "theory of multiculturalism", such as M. Gordon, N. Smelser and others, highlight the backbone characteristics of multiculturalism: a free society where every representative of any culture would feel protected and have equal rights; multiculturalism as the main element of the development of society; conditions for self-determination of a person both in their own culture (micro culture) and in the national culture (macro culture). Within the framework of the “multiculturalism theory”, a person is perceived as a carrier of his own cultural values, and is also a representative of a national culture.

J. Banks calls the development of intercultural competence the main goal of multicultural education. He defines intercultural competence as "the knowledge, attitudes and practical skills necessary to function in a diverse cultural environment" . In the structure of this competence, J. Banks identifies the following components: cognitive, behavioral, value-semantic. Also, the researcher identifies four levels of mastery of competence: the first level - a person does not have experience of interacting with representatives of another culture; the second level - a person communicates with representatives of another culture; the third level - a person feels comfortable in contact and considers himself a bicultural person; the fourth level - a person identifies himself with this culture, shares a lifestyle, manners of communication, etc. .

J. Banks identifies the following tasks of multicultural education:

1) To help a person realize his own culture and understand the significance and productivity of other cultures.

2) Give students knowledge about other cultures, introduce them to ethnic alternatives. The researcher suggests this so that the student can evaluate the significance of his native culture in comparison with a foreign culture.

3) Help students acquire knowledge and skills so that the student will be successful in their cultural group and in the dominant group.

4) Help the student to master reading, writing, counting, etc. on material and examples that are related to their life experience and cultural environment. J. Banks notes that the content of education should include history, life experience, etc. .

J. Banks writes that systemic changes should take place not only in the curriculum and programs, but also in educational policy, content, teaching staff, and psychological climate. The school, according to the researcher, should promote the ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity of students.

James Banks identifies four approaches that have developed in multicultural education: Contributory approach: the author identifies this approach as the lowest in terms of development. The essence of the approach is that the material reflecting history, traditions, facts is introduced into the curriculum and educational literature in the form of separate ideas, facts, events; complementary approach: material reflecting the cultural characteristics of the minority is introduced into the curriculum as complementary to the main one, aimed at the culture of the majority; transformational approach: the study of cultural facts and events of the culture of the majority and the culture of the minority are studied in the same way; decision-making and social action approach: different in that students develop critical thinking. J. Banks highlights this approach as the highest level of reform. In this approach, it is supposed to consider the problem from different points of view and make an independent decision.

A great contribution to the development of multicultural education in Canada was made by such American scientists as J. Banks, K. Grant, S. Nieto, K. Sliter., P. Ramsey. They are the founders of the conceptual idea of multicultural education in the western region. The results of their research are reflected in the works of domestic researchers, such as Balitskaya I.V., Dzhurinsky A.N., Sviridenko Yu.S. and etc.

I.V. Balitskaya highlights the main ideas and concepts of multicultural education in Canada, which appeared comparable to the stages of development of multicultural education in Canada:

providing equal opportunities through multicultural education (J. Banks): the concept of these researchers was to introduce ethnic education into the curriculum, thereby cultural minority groups bring up self-esteem and cultural independence;
critical pedagogy (S. Nieto): Sonia Nieto proposed to make the idea of anti-racism part of the curriculum, where not ideological “rigging” of historical facts would prevail, but truthful information that would teach schoolchildren to resist racism;
model of multicultural education (S. Nieto): Sonia Nieto proposes a model of multicultural education, which is divided into four levels:

1) Tolerance. S. Nieto defines this level as the most shaky one. At this level in an educational institution, multiculturalism is an inevitable element and everyone should come to terms with it.

2) Acceptance. An educational institution that recognizes cultural diversity and has launched bilingual programs. Such an educational environment is valid until the transition of the student to the environment of a larger culture (English-speaking environment). In such schools, news and events can be held in their native language.

3) Respect. Acceptance and admiration of other cultures. The introduction of programs in the mother tongue, the curriculum is designed with the aim of developing literacy, based on the experience and value of students of a lesser culture.

4) Affirmation, solidarity and criticism. It is the highest level of development of multicultural education. An educational institution of this level carries out educational activities in an environment where the language and culture of the minority is recognized as legitimate. Clear signs of this level is the recognition of the conflict of cultures, their differences, the recognition that culture can change. At this level, conflict is not avoided, as it is an integral element of the educational process.

S. Nieto emphasizes that without a critical attitude, multicultural education is not capable of creating an environment where the interests of all students, that is, representatives of different cultures, would be taken into account.

anti-racist education (K. Sleater, J. Lynch): Sleater is a supporter of the fact that multicultural education is the opposition to discrimination. Also, she says that teachers in schools must eliminate and prevent any manifestations of racism, since the teacher is responsible for each student. In her opinion, multicultural education should become the basis for reforms carried out in education. The same opinion is shared by Sonya Nieto, who is repeatedly cited by K. Sleater in his studies.
James Lynch divides the evolutionary development of multicultural education into phases. So, he puts the addition of culturally specific content into the curriculum at the first stage, while children who are representatives of the majority are excluded from the program. However, there are still no common ideas for larger and smaller cultures in the curricula. At the next stage, cultural components were added to the curriculum: knowledge of traditions, customs, rituals, holidays, etc. Lynch identifies four characteristics of multicultural education on a global scale: a creative attitude towards issues of cultural diversity; reaching consensus in the process of communication, focusing on the principles of justice through the anti-discriminatory practice of equality, the policy of inclusion in the infrastructure of a pluralistic democratic society.
the evolution of multicultural education (P. Ramsey): P. Ramsey studied the evolution of multicultural education, in which she outlined all stages of the development of multicultural education from the beginning of the 80s to the end of the 20th century.

The main concepts of multicultural education in Canada are reflected in the practice of Canadian multicultural education.

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Introduction

6. Bilingual education

7. Ethnocentric schools

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

In the new educational and socio-cultural conditions, the development of issues of multicultural education and upbringing, the use of positive world experience accumulated in this area are of particular relevance for the national school and pedagogy.

The appeal of the humanistic principles of pedagogical science, integration processes in the economy and in the educational space, the emergence of a communication network create a number of prerequisites for activating the foundations of multicultural education. One of the means of transforming and updating the modern education system is the study of European and world experience in teacher education and training of teachers, taking into account the multicultural society. A country that has rich experience in the development and development of multicultural issues is the United States, one of the first countries to address this problem, which was caused by historical conditions. The issues of multicultural education in American pedagogy were very actively developed by such scientists as C. Bennett, J. Banks, G. Baker, J. Guy, D. Gollnick, J. Goodlad, L. Darling-Hammond, C. Campbell, S. Nieto , D. Sadker, M. Sadker, P. Tidt and A. Tiedt, E. R. Hollins, F. Chinn and others. The relevance of the introduction of multicultural education is due to the need to organize society on the principles of humanism, freedom, equality and social justice.

The formation and development of the concept of multicultural education in the United States was preceded by ideas aimed at reducing racial and interethnic conflicts. However, separate courses on the history and culture of racial, ethnic minorities, widespread in the post-war period and the first years of the civil rights movement, the organization of meetings between representatives of different ethnic groups by the 60s and 70s. 20th century ceased to meet the changing sociopolitical realities of American society. Questions have been raised in the pedagogical literature about the language of instruction, about the different learning styles of students of different ethnic backgrounds, about the role of the teacher and his attitude towards members of minorities. As a result, the concept of multi-ethnic education took shape, the supporters of which proceeded from the fact that ethnic diversity enriches the nation and increases the ability of citizens to solve personal and social problems; that people who do not know other cultures are not able to know their own.

1. Multicultural pedagogy in the USA

The concept of "polyculturalism" has become widespread in US pedagogy since the early 1960s. and has become a common cliché in pedagogical literature. The concept is applied, first of all, to the traditional socio-pedagogical problem of solving racial and ethnic conflicts.

In the United States, the concept of "polyculturalism" was initially used primarily in the context of racial separatism and ethnocentrism and had a negative connotation. However, the use of the concept of "polyculturalism" only in a negative sense did not last long. In 1990 Diana Ravich, former Deputy Secretary of Education of the United States, made an article where she distinguishes between two concepts: "pluralistic multiculturalism" and "separatist pluralism", attributing the former to positive socio-pedagogical phenomena.

Multicultural education is interpreted in American pedagogy, at least as an idea, school reform, educational process.

When posing the idea of multiculturalism in American pedagogy, the central question arose why students from ethnic minorities demonstrated the worst knowledge. Especially often the answer came down to the assertion that these students are outside the norms and foundations of white culture, which is the basis of education. Two approaches have emerged to address this situation: either ethnic minority students should be more effectively involved in white culture, or minority values should become the essence of education for them.

Scientists at Stanford University offered a middle ground when looking at these two approaches, substantiating in 1987. their projects on the reform of the content of education. New programs, along with the values of traditional Western civilization, were proposed to include the values of non-European cultures.

In turn, the ideologists of ethnic minorities raised the question of including the values of their subcultures and their subordination with Euro-American culture in the upbringing of the younger generation. They, however, thought more about ethnic differences than about national identity. For example, African Americans see learning about the specific experiences of black Americans as an essential part of education. Hawaiians insist on schooling with textbooks in the Hawaiian language. Hispanics demand bilingual education.

The multicultural composition of American society requires the system of upbringing and education to answer several fundamental questions. Should teaching in public schools be based on a Eurocentric culture? Should only English be the only language of instruction? Should public schools introduce non-European cultural traditions? Should the dominant culture as the basis of education change through the integration of other cultural values? The ideologists of multicultural education give unequivocal answers: “no” to the first two questions and “yes” to the last two.

Multicultural education is seen as an objective necessity. J. Banks and K. Cortes distinguish 4 groups of pedagogical results that polyculturalism provides: equal learning opportunities, awareness of cultures among students and teachers, multiculturalism in training programs, entry into the global society as equal representatives of minorities.

J. Banks identifies several stages (models) of the possible movement of education in the United States towards the implementation of the idea of multiculturalism: A- upbringing and education exclusively on European values; B-- the predominantly Eurocultural component of upbringing and education is complemented by the values of small minorities; C- in the process of education and training, a balance is established between the values of the cultures of various ethnic groups.

Some educators (J. Farkas, J. Banks) emphasize the danger that multicultural education, with its emphasis on taking into account a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society, will strengthen and maintain the distance between ethnic groups and encourage disunity. They believe that a properly implemented multicultural education should unite, not divide.

Approaches to the problem of multiculturalism have undergone a qualitative evolution in American pedagogy. At first, it was proposed to strive for the complete assimilation of students - representatives of various languages and ethnic groups. This approach bore traces of the ideas of segregation. Its representatives, for example, "arrogantly believed that blacks did not have cultural values that should be preserved, or that blacks themselves wanted to forget their race." Criticizing the idea and practice of assimilation, J. Banks writes that "the mythical Anglo-American culture required ethnic minorities to go through a process of self-alienation" and that the cultural assimilation of immigrants and the colored population was by no means a guarantee of full inclusion in society.

The idea of assimilation was replaced by the theory of accommodation of ethnic groups through education. According to this theory, the self-worth of each group is maintained and respected, their inherent differences are regarded as social wealth, cultural and ethnic diversity is not considered as an object for elimination. At first glance, this approach seems quite democratic. But, according to its critics, it means maintaining the status quo, i.e. division of the nation along ethnic and racial lines, and, therefore, contradicts the idea of education as a unifying process, “involving members of ethnic groups in a single nation”, harmonizing “the views of representatives of different cultures for the common well-being”.

The evolution and formation of multicultural pedagogy in the United States took place within the framework of changes in the main approaches to education as a lever for the transformation of society. Mid 80s. XX century American pedagogy was guided by the concept of the formation of a single American nation - the "melting pot" policy. This upbringing and education strategy involves using the school to consolidate ethnic fragments around the language and culture of the Anglo-Saxon Protestant core. The United States was presented as a kind of "melting pot" in which national, cultural, and ethnic differences should disappear. The concept proceeds from the ideal that the mixing of ethnic groups and races will give rise to "a new race that will combine ancient values, differences, languages and customs." The "melting pot" strategy, according to the American educator D. Ravich, corresponds to the democratic ideal of multicultural pedagogy, since it provides free choice for all ethnic groups in education and training.

In fact, the ideology of the "melting pot" resulted in teaching exclusively in English, reflecting the values, traditions, and lifestyle of white Americans in the content of education. Ignored languages, culture, peculiarities of thinking and behavior of ethnic minorities, which adversely affected the education of the non-white population.

Since the mid 1980s. the "melting pot" concept has come under increasing criticism. Critics considered that such a concept is not only erroneous, but also vicious, since it does not take into account the complexity and dynamism of human cultures, the impossibility of their leveling and fusion.

In American pedagogy, awareness of the importance of taking into account ethnic diversity as a condition for the stability and cultural wealth of society has increased. In accordance with the idea of multiculturalism, instead of the metaphor "America is a 'melting pot'", another one was proposed: "America is a 'salad dish'". Pei Yang, a proponent of such cultural pluralism, writes that this is an ideal that not only affirms and maintains cultural diversity itself, but also lays the foundation for the interconnection of multicultural ethnic experience in American society.

Some American educators, in accordance with the new approach, determined the prospects of multiculturalism through the inclusion in the teaching of social disciplines of materials about national minorities, their history and traditions, by introducing curricula that provide for the study of the culture of ethnic groups. According to their judgments, such a construction of the content of education should help Americans form a broader view of their own history and culture. The training materials suggest avoiding anything that provokes cultural divisions. It is argued that the study of the cultures of various ethnic groups cannot be limited to one-time events like "black month", when students are given confusing and fragmentary information about African Americans, it is necessary to systematically introduce the subcultures of ethnic groups.

In the United States, interesting studies have been carried out on the effectiveness of multicultural education. They are based on the model proposed by K. Grant to achieve a three-level cultural competence.

First level:

Awareness and understanding; - awareness of the individual in one's own group, race; - understanding of oppression in society; - assessment of the ways in which social institutions, including school, perpetuate discrimination and prejudice; - acquiring knowledge about other cultural groups, their contribution to society, history, ideals, beliefs; - the accumulation of relevant experience at school.

Second level:

Evaluation and consent; - promotion of social justice; - promotion of the development of feelings of unity; - acceptance of cultural pluralism; - promotion of the development of a positive "I-concept"; - liberation from stereotypes; - development of multicultural education; - intergroup intercultural learning.

Third level:

Conviction and protection; - design, implementation and evaluation of multicultural experience; - practical and critical attitude to social reality; - actions for positive social change; - encouragement of discussions on racial and social problems; - using personal experience in the analysis of cultural discrimination; - active involvement in democratic problem solving.

Like many US scientists, a significant part of Canadian educators closely link the issue of multicultural education with the achievement of a national community (identity). At the same time, however, there are certain differences in the views of Canadian scientists, which consist, first of all, in the fact that the education of citizens in the spirit of multiculturalism is put in the main place in the strategy for achieving Canadian identity. The dominant pedagogical tasks are the desire to cultivate a tendency to balance, compromise, tolerance and mutual respect, pragmatism, (rationalism), rejection of forceful decisions.

2. Immigrants and upbringing in the USA

In the United States, multicultural education is inseparable from the problem of convergence of ethnic groups of the population. In the United States, nations were formed from immigrants. Upbringing proved to be a powerful tool for creating a nation on a multi-ethnic basis. In the United States, a multi-ethnic composition united around the Anglo-Saxon Protestant core, whose culture remains dominant. Polyethnicity and multiculturalism is a typical feature of the USA. The need to take this into account in education is an objective consequence of the history of this country, where the influx of immigrants not only did not stop for three and a half centuries, but also increased in recent decades.

The incessant flow of immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia brought a multicolored culture. The European descendants of immigrants who are part of the US population strive to preserve the cultural heritage of their ancestors. These ethnic cultural heritage groups can be divided into two parts: the dominant Anglo-Saxons in the US and the minority groups.

Multicultural education in the United States is becoming increasingly relevant due to significant demographic changes. Immigrants arriving from the Old World and Latin America and defending their cultural and educational rights represent an impressive part of the population. The geography of immigration has also changed. If before almost half of the immigrants were Europeans, then in the 1980s. only 10% were Europeans, the rest were from Latin and Central America and Asia. In some US cities (Miami, Santa Ana, Huntington Park, etc.), more than half of the inhabitants are from the last generations of immigrants of non-European origin. In the largest metropolitan area - New York - Europeans make up only 47% of the population. The US population consists of a huge number of ethnic groups - carriers of their own cultures; 13%, or 32 million, of Americans do not speak English at home. The largest population groups, except for the Anglo-Saxons, are African Americans (30 million), Hispanics (20 million), Asian Americans (4 million), Indians (2 million). If in 1980 every fifth American belonged to an ethnic minority, then in 1990 - already every fourth. At the beginning of the 90s. XX century whites in the US made up 76% of the population. The increase in the share of ethnic minorities and the decrease in the share of the white population continues. So, if at the beginning of the 1990s. Asians made up about 3% of the US population, then, according to demographers, by 2050. "Asian" Americans will be 10%.

Ethnic and linguistic shifts of the population also change the composition of students. So, in public schools in New York, students speak almost 100 languages. Under these conditions, upbringing is increasingly taking over the provision of the cultural and educational interests of small ethnic groups. multiculturalism cultural competence immigration

3. Raising and educating Hispanics and Asians in the USA

National minorities and ethnic groups from Asia and Latin America face special problems in obtaining education. They experience serious difficulties in school due to poor knowledge of the language and culture of the indigenous population and are in dire need of propaedeutics of lagging behind.

Asians find it difficult to access a decent education due to the lower economic standard of living, many years of restrictions on their rights, manifested in the prejudices and prejudices of the white environment. Many immigrants from Latin America are in a similar difficult cultural and educational situation. Hispanic immigrants are the largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States. They inhabit the so-called "dispossessed territories", whose schools are located in the slums of large cities and rural areas remote from cultural centers. Over the past 40 years, the number of Hispanics in US schools has increased 8 times. Together with African Americans, they make up about 50% of students in urban public schools.

Hispanic groups are distinguished by a strong desire to resist cultural assimilation by the English-speaking majority. They try to preserve their national identity, speak mostly Spanish, and tend to live in closed communities.

4. The question of the upbringing of African Americans

A significant part of the population in the United States are African Americans. Black Americans, experiencing racial discrimination from the white majority, seek to assert their ethnic identity, including through education. With the help of education, they also try to familiarize themselves with the culture of Africa. But this is more a declaration than a real possibility, since African Americans have developed a subculture that is different from the culture of any people in Africa. So we are talking about the education of African Americans as a certain ethnic group with its own subculture.

5. The official policy of a multicultural approach in the educational system in the United States

In the United States, racial problems in education are officially recognized and efforts are being made to address them. There is strong pressure on official US education policy from organizations fighting for the civil rights of national minorities, especially the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. They are in favor of the introduction of joint education of the white majority of "colored" (integrated schools), for ensuring racial equality in educational institutions. Many participants in the civil rights movement argue that equality in education is unattainable without the inclusion of information about the culture of African Americans, aborigines, Hispanics in educational materials.

The United States has created a legal framework prohibiting racial discrimination in education. In 1954 The US Supreme Court has abolished the division of schools by race. Most of the educational districts are guided by regulations on the prohibition of racial discrimination in schools, increasing the educational opportunities of national minorities.

The idea of multiculturalism is permeated with the current since 1981. one of the largest US federal education programs-- Chapter 1 ECIA. The program is addressed to children of low social level and representatives of ethnic minorities. Annual subsidies in the amount of 500 million dollars are provided. With these funds, schools where children of these categories of the population study acquire additional equipment, invite specialist consultants, and increase the salaries of teachers. According to the program, 90% of educational districts received additional subsidies. The program reached 27% of African American students, 14% of Hispanics, and 4% of other minority ethnic groups.

The consequences of the policy of multiculturalism in the field of education in the United States are ambiguous. Problems related to the right to a decent upbringing and education of the non-white minority, especially African Americans, continue to be acute and topical. In a significant part of mixed schools, the programs of natural science education and the teaching of foreign languages have been reduced. In general, the quality of education in such educational institutions has deteriorated. At the same time, the policy of desegregation, mitigation of discrimination has led to the fact that the median level of education of the “colored” population has become equal to the level of education of the white majority. high results were achieved in teaching English and mathematics. Such a positive experience was largely a consequence of the awareness of students - representatives of minorities - of their cultural identity.

Steps towards multicultural upbringing and education, however, did not eliminate the problem of segregation of national minorities. The vast majority of American children attend schools where segregation flourishes and almost all students are of the same race.

Official approaches to multicultural education in the United States have both common and specific features. In the United States, the policy of multicultural education has gone through two stages. In 1970-1980s. it was, first of all, about creating conditions for teaching minorities in their native language. For them, the teaching of their native language was introduced in educational institutions; in a number of cases, instruction in the native language was introduced in the primary grades. Outside the 1980s--1990s. the content of multicultural education is changing qualitatively. It provides for the inclusion in the programs of social disciplines of materials on the history and cultural traditions of national minorities.

6. Bilingual education

In the United States, the tasks of multicultural education are solved largely through bilingual education, which helps children to become aware of their cultural and ethnic identity. The spread of bilingual education in North America is the result of a number of social factors: the need for intercultural communication, the teaching of national languages, the need to preserve local languages, the growth of multiculturalism in an urban civilization, the growth of "linguistic nationalism", i.e. aspirations to maintain cultural and ethnic identity through language. Bilingual education in the USA is carried out in a variety of ways, in which the study of two languages is combined in different ways. In the United States, the right to bilingual education in schools is defended primarily by Hispanics, as well as immigrants from Asian countries. Finally the 1980s. for 8 million Americans, English was not their native language, 5.8 million of this group were aged 4-18 years, a third of them were Hispanic.

In US public schools, bilingual education is supported by federal funds and programs. The official course for its organization is determined by the Act (1967) and the Law on Bilingual Education (1968). In accordance with the legislation, funds are allocated for the training of special teachers, for research on bilingual education, for additional assistance to schools with students, primarily from Hispanic families. The main manifestations of bilingual education are support for learning the native language through a certain organization of education and teaching materials, teaching a second language, creating bilingual classes and schools.

Bilingual education should remove the language problems of students, improve academic performance, and develop oral language skills. Bilingual education programs are varied. Some of them provide for the development of speaking skills in the language. All programs assume that students of bilingual educational institutions must acquire such competence in the language and culture of the majority, which will provide the necessary level of communication in society.

There are 3 types of bilingual education in the American school: 1) support for the ability to speak, read and write in their native language while learning English; for the first time, for 2 years, lessons are taught in their native language, and English is studied as a foreign language, and then students are taught in two languages; 2) training does not aim to teach knowledge of two languages; the native language is used until students have sufficient knowledge of English, after which instruction is conducted only in that language; 3) addressed to classes consisting of English-speaking and non-English-speaking students; communicating, children learn each other's languages.

In bilingual schools in the United States, many students who do not speak the official language receive English lessons. Education is also organized in private educational institutions in English and the language of the ethnic minority. At the same time, classes are created with teaching in the native language and in "plain" English, as well as mixed classes, where students do not experience difficulties with English. Classes are divided into different levels depending on the depth and volume of the studied material. The pedagogical and social results of bilingual education are ambiguous.

Bilingual students often have difficulty learning languages. Many of them fail to bring knowledge to the level of natural native language. Teaching in a second language often imposes an education that is alien to the culture of the child, which is not related to the objective real environment of his residence.

It can be argued that bilingual education in a certain sense turns out to be a means of encouraging or, on the contrary, inhibiting the sociocultural and intellectual development of students. The first case concerns, first of all, children from poor, incomplete, dysfunctional families. As a result, they do not receive a decent upbringing and education in any of the languages. Representatives of low social strata often perceive the second language as alien, strange and incomprehensible. The second case concerns, first of all, people from wealthy, socially prosperous families. For them, the introduction of a second language into the curriculum provided a "genuine leap in mental development." When learning a second language, they accumulated new practical and linguistic experience, allowing them to successfully adapt to other cultures and other social environments.

In general, the social and pedagogical results of bilingual education were positive. It improves the conditions for the successful learning of students with limited knowledge of English and French. Bilinguals were more inventive, active, dynamic. Bilingual education is especially useful for gifted children.

7. Ethnocentric schools

An important way to meet the cultural and educational needs of ethnic minorities in the United States is the so-called ethnocentric schools, i.e. educational institutions intended for representatives of small ethnic groups and racial groups. In such schools, teaching should be conducted in the context of the subculture to which the students belong. In the United States, such schools began to be created in the early 90s. XX century for blacks and Hispanics. Supporters of African American schools rely on the ideas of J. Kunjufu, president of the Chicago organization "African American Images". Academic achievement, discipline, racial self-respect, expansion of knowledge about their culture and its modern meaning are declared to be the objectives of training and education.

At the intersection of the ideas of multicultural and ethnocentric education in the United States, special educational institutions for autochthonous minorities have been developed. One of the supporters of such schools for aborigines, the American Indian teacher M. Fedullo, believes that it is necessary to teach young Indians to live in a different cultural environment, without losing touch with their own culture. To do this, they provided training on the basis of essays in English devoted to Indian culture. He offered to clearly explain the differences between Indian culture and European. For example, it was necessary to explain to young Indians that the gaze of a white man is by no means always a sign of hostility and can mean simple curiosity or interest.

The experience of teaching Eskimos and Indians has been accumulated by the Canadian comprehensive school. Federal educational institutions have been created for them, and special training programs for aborigines have been developed in individual provinces. There are two types of educational institutions for Indians in Canada. The first is indigenous-led, federally funded and designed for people on reservations. Educational programs are similar to provincial standards and at the same time provide in-depth study of indigenous cultures and languages. The popularity of such institutions is growing. In the 1990s they enrolled about 55% of indigenous minority children. The second type is addressed to the indigenous minority who live off the reservation. Educational institutions are organized where there is a sufficient number of students of indigenous nationalities. The program includes the study of indigenous languages and cultures.

Carriers of the language and culture of these ethnic groups come to schools of Canadian aborigines: teachers, teachers of folk crafts. Since 1968 Specialized training of Aboriginal teachers for work in such schools is underway. These educational institutions introduce special vocational training programs.

Aboriginal demands to be taught in their native language are met most fully in British Columbia, the Northern Territories, the Prairies, and outlying areas of Quebec. In these provinces, the natives learn the indigenous language, sometimes using the corresponding script. Teaching methods, especially at the initial stage, correspond to national traditions and culture. For example, they encourage the inherent respect for nature inherent in Native Americans, the desire to understand its laws, learn to live in harmony with them.

8. Multicultural education in higher education

The ideas of multiculturalism have penetrated the US higher education. Through multicultural education, it is proposed to encourage the aspirations of students to acquire knowledge, skills, develop the abilities necessary for functioning within other subcultures, national and world macrocultures.

A sharp surge in the number of students in the United States that occurred in the 60s-70s. The 20th century was accompanied by an increase in the non-traditional student body, including at the expense of representatives of ethnic minorities. A number of universities have quotas for the Hispanic community, African Americans, and Indians. It may happen that if such applicants do not know even a tenth of what their white peers know, they will be given preference for admission. Transformations in the field of higher education in the United States provide for the harmonization of relationships between students living on campuses and belonging to different national groups. This has become relevant due to a clear trend towards a change in the structure of the student body, in which the percentage of young people belonging to African American and other national minorities is significantly increasing. We are talking, in particular, about the development of behavior skills based on understanding, tolerance, dialogue, compromise, self-respect and respect for others.

Higher education programs in the United States provide for the development of students' ability to make intelligent decisions on ethnic issues, the formation of the skills necessary for active participation in life in an ethnically diverse community. Intercultural competence is necessary for successful operation in a multinational environment. Multicultural education is called one of the main ways of holistic higher education. Its supporters propose to carry out an integrated study of the natural sciences and social disciplines, taking into account the multicultural basis of scientific values. The components of multicultural education in American universities are special teaching methods, curriculum, professionalism of teachers in the selection of educational material and teaching in a multiethnic environment.

Intentions are expressed to expand the scale of higher specialized education for minorities, taking into account their multicultural aspect, the fact that ethnic groups have their own intellectual, worldview guidelines. It is argued that it is difficult to measure such differences by average testing, and in this regard, it is proposed to make changes when testing applicants and students who are representatives of ethnic groups. It is proposed to organize financial and other support for the participation in the development of testing of specialists - representatives of ethnic groups that do not belong to the white majority. It is hoped that their experience and intuition will help develop a new, effective system for assessing knowledge and abilities.

Multiculturalism is reflected in the programs and standards of higher education in the United States. For example, the American Council on Higher Education Standards ( CAS) in the 90s. XX century developed documents according to which educational programs should educate students in the ability to effectively resolve interethnic conflicts. CAS proposes to reduce the sharpness of divisions in universities in the spirit of respect for ethnic pluralism. It is vital that today's students, tomorrow's leaders, learn to effectively embrace different ideas, values, cultures. Not following this means preserving a flawed world dominated by strife and ethnic strife. The authors of the standards call on the leadership of higher educational institutions to realize the growing diversity of society, the importance of cultivating a tolerant attitude towards such pluralism in the name of the public good. Recognizing that a significant part of the university administration is not enthusiastic about the idea of multiculturalism, the compilers point to multicultural education as a source of progress in higher education.

Multicultural education in the United States is also provided by the institutes of special pedagogical training: the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education ( NCATE) and the Montessori Institute ( Montessori Educational Institute of the Pacific Northwest). The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education insists on a differentiated approach to teaching representatives of different nationalities, ethnic groups and, in this regard, on the availability of a variety of training programs. In standards NCATE There is a section in which the following training conditions are formulated:

Accounting for the racial, ethnic diversity of students and teachers, the presence of various linguistic, religious groups; - reflection of cultural diversity in curricula, in monitoring the implementation of curricula, in the actions of faculty, learning outcomes; - creating a climate of mutual understanding in educational institutions, support for all ethnic groups represented in the student and teaching staff.

The ideas of multiculturalism are embedded in the programs of individual higher educational institutions in the United States. For example, the University of Alaska English Language and Literature Program states that students should use information and literature from different cultures in order to better understand themselves and others. The standards include the courses "Multicultural Education" and "History of Alaska" as mandatory.

Conclusion

Based on the material worked out, it can be concluded that the development of upbringing and education in the American educational system is a multilateral process, the scale and results of which are very significant. There have been decisive changes caused by the changing needs of human civilization, the need to translate these new needs into pedagogical language. The most important trend can be considered the progress of school upbringing and education, which remain the pillar of spirituality, the center of the acquisition of national and universal cultural values.

Thus, American experts in the field of multicultural education quite objectively evaluate both the results achieved and the shortcomings, are aware of the problems they face and are ready to solve them. "It is important to remember, - stresses the teacher-researcher P. Gorski, - that multicultural education is a relatively new concept that will be transformed in order to meet the needs of an ever-changing society."

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