Multicultural Resource Centers
Multicultural Resource Centers (MRCs) serve as vital institutions within educational environments, aiming to promote cultural awareness and understanding among students and faculty. These centers are particularly relevant in the context of increasing diversity in the United States, which is evolving towards a society without a singular ethnic majority. MRCs provide resources and support for educators addressing cultural diversity, offering materials such as books, videos, and workshops to enhance multicultural education. They advocate for a reflection of community diversity within academic settings, acknowledging both the benefits and challenges associated with diversity initiatives.
Critics of multiculturalism argue that such initiatives can inadvertently marginalize majority populations, while proponents emphasize the importance of fostering an inclusive atmosphere that celebrates different cultures. The Center for Cultural Fluency at Mount St. Mary’s College exemplifies this mission, offering resources for K-12 educators and promoting professional development around multicultural themes. By facilitating discussions about race, culture, and diversity, MRCs aim to create supportive environments where all individuals can engage openly and respectfully, ultimately preparing students for a pluralistic society.
Multicultural Resource Centers
This article focuses on the foundation of a multicultural resource center. There are many thoughts as to what the role of diversity should be on many campuses across the country. Some would argue that each institution should be reflective of the community it represents, whereas others believe that diversity initiatives discriminate against the majority population. The use of multicultural resource centers can assist faculty and staff with guiding the student population in becoming culturally aware.
Keywords Affirmative Action; Culture Centered; Demographics; Diversity; Fundamentalism; Multicultural Resource Center; Multiculturalism; Political Correctness; Totalitarianism
Overview
The United States is moving toward becoming a society that has no ethnic majority. "The demand for multiculturalism is strong in the contemporary world and is invoked in the making of social, cultural and political policies, especially in Western Europe and the United States" (Sen, 2006, par 1). Demographics suggest that the world is moving toward becoming a multi-ethnic and international culture (Visions, n.d.). Sen (2006) asserted that this should not be a surprise considering the fact that increased global contacts and interactions, especially extensive migrations, have positioned the diverse practices of different cultures in close proximity to one another.
Diversity
Many researchers and organizations have reported on the individual, institutional and societal benefits of diversity and teaching from culture-centered perspectives (Chang, Witt, Jones & Hakuta, 2000). For example, at the individual level, the benefits are generated as people become aware of and acknowledge racial differences. The institutional level is geared towards employers and focuses on how the organizational culture changes as a result of cross-cultural understanding. Benefits to society can be experienced as scholars continue to pursue research opportunities and address issues such as gender, race, ethnicity and affirmative action in the workplace.
• Individual Level: Regardless of whether or not a person is on the job, in the community or at an educational institution, they will encounter experiences with individuals who are different than themselves. Many will be curious and welcome the opportunity to learn about other cultures and differences, whereas, some may not.
Not everyone supports diversity. Some view this concept as a hindrance to society, and is as dangerous as communism. "Multiculturalism, as the new menace is known, has been denounced in the media as the new McCarthyism, the new fundamentalism, even the new totalitarianism - take your choice" (Ehrenreich, 1991, p. 84). Critics assert that followers of multiculturalism place too much emphasis on being politically correct at the risk of taking away a person's ability to have freedom of speech and freedom of thought. Being politically correct means constantly watching what one speaks in order to avoid offending someone else's value and belief system. Many conservative scholars believe that "when advocates of multiculturalism adopt the haughty stand of political correctness, they quickly descend to silliness or worse" (Ehrenreich, 1991, p. 85).
• Institutional Level: "The function of the university is not simply to teach breadwinning, or to furnish teachers for the public schools or to be a centre of polite society; it is, above all, to be the organ of that fine adjustment between real life and the growing knowledge of life, an adjustment which forms the secret of civilization" (DuBois, 2005, p. 85). DuBois had a vision that institutions of higher education played a key role in shaping the minds of our future scholars. It was the institution's responsibility to bridge the gap between learning and taking the wealth of knowledge into the real world. The faculty members were charged with educating and preparing students to enter the real world, which was pluralistic and diverse. In order to achieve this goal, institutions had to provide an atmosphere and culture that allowed students to learn from different perspectives.
• Societal Level: For the leadership of higher education institutions, diversity is not a luxury; it is a necessity. "With the changing demographics of student populations and the emergence by 2060 of a "minority majority" country, faculty and staff on university and college campuses must reflect the increasingly diverse nature of the United States population; homogeneity is not an alternative" (Evans & Chun, 2007, p. 2). In order to meet the needs of the students, faculty and staff must be prepared to play a role in the development of the student body. Faculty members can play a role in the classroom by assisting students in becoming successful professional adults regardless of their cultural differences (Sawchuk, Taylor, Perry & Mt. Saint Mary's College, 1997). This type of activity can be achieved in multicultural resource centers.
Applications
The Center for Cultural Fluency
There are many thoughts as to what the role of diversity should be on many campuses across the country. Some would argue that each institution should be reflective of the community it represents, whereas, others believe that diversity initiatives discriminate against the majority population.
The use of multicultural resource centers can assist faculty and staff with guiding the student population in becoming culturally aware. The Center for Cultural Fluency at Mount St. Mary's college was founded in 1995 in order to fill the above-mentioned goal (Sawchuk, Taylor, Perry, and Mt. Saint Mary's College, 1997). Some important facts about the establishment are:
• The Center has been charged with teaching the truth about the United State's history.
• Every aspect of the College's education process is characterized by concern for the individual (i.e. the student's goals, talent and development).
• The Center is a resource center for K-12 teachers who are trying to address the cultural diversity in their classrooms. It provides materials such as books, videotapes, audio tapes, and art representing culturally diverse perspectives.
• The collection of resource materials serves as a basis for the professional development workshops that are run every fall. Participating teachers receive two continuing education units for participating in the forum and a $100 stipend to be spent on multicultural materials for their classrooms.
• The Center is staffed by education professors at the College. These professors have extensive expertise and experience in multicultural education and curriculum development.
• The staff at the Center has invited educators and community leaders to be part of the Advisory Council. These individuals come from various ethnic groups.
• A major goal of the Center for Cultural Fluency is to collect resources for teachers who are responding to a culturally diverse student body and to link those teachers with the resources that already exist in the community.
Resource Collection
The collection at the Center has more than 3,000 items. "The predominant ethnic and cultural groups in Los Angeles - African Americans, Asian, Jewish, Latino, and Native American, are emphasized in the collection. However, recent additions have included works from Armenian and Middle Eastern cultures" (Sawchuk, Taylor, Perry & Mt. Saint Mary's College, 1997, p. 15). Some of the resources include:
• Books (fiction, non-fiction, biographies cookbooks, art books, picture books, big books).
• Visual aids (maps, posters, prints, photographs, artifacts).
• Videos (documentaries, folk tales, issues of diversity).
• Audio tapes (music, books on tape, oral history, storytelling).
• Software (diskettes, CD-ROMs, laser disks).
• Magazines.
• Clipping file (magazine and newspaper articles).
• Directory of culturally diverse community resources.
• Teacher references materials (curriculum units and customized bibliographies).
According to Sawchuk, Taylor, Perry, and Mt. Saint Mary's College (1997), when the Center looks for material, the following criteria are used:
• The materials have multicultural content focusing on the non-Anglo cultures of Los Angeles. Materials on Anglo culture were excluded because Anglo experience and history are well represented in texts and supplementary materials easily available to teachers. Therefore, the staff will look for material with authentic voices, materials produced by the people knowledgeable about and credible in the culture represented.
• The materials are currently available, which will make it easy for the teachers and school libraries to order materials found in the Center.
• The materials represent a variety of media. Music, art, videos, and games encourage interactive, multifaceted instructional experiences for students.
• The materials deal with the American experience of various ethnic groups. Information on ancestor cultures is available at the Center, but its focus is on ethnic groups within the United States. The Center is not a world history resource.
• When possible, the materials are bilingual. Bilingual materials that deal with a third culture are especially sought after and are very rare (i.e. a book on Chinese culture that is written in Spanish and English). Often teachers in bilingual classrooms must use picture books or translate from books available only in English to prepare a lesson on diverse cultures (p. 15).
Viewpoint
Assumptions, Philosophy & Goals
According to Sawchuk, Taylor, Perry, and Mt. Saint Mary's College (1997), The Center for Cultural Fluency and Mount St. Mary's College operate under the following set of assumptions:
• The United States has become a culturally diverse country since its founding. Although Americans may be more aware of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity today than in the past, such diversity is not new to the nation. Although some may react to diversity with fear, anger, suspicion or regret, diversity should be considered one of the nation's greatest strengths.
• Acknowledging cultural diversity does not preclude the telling of a national story that is shared. New immigrants and descendants of the Mayflower pilgrims are inspired by the ideals of equality, freedom, and democracy referenced in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
• Culture is a significant factor influencing the behavior consciously and unconsciously. Culture influences every aspect of behavior. As a result, culture influences daily interactions between people much more than is usually believed.
• Learning about the cultures of others can promote understanding versus division. Some knowledge about diverse cultures and about the role of culture in human societies can prevent misunderstandings and increase the opportunity for friendly, productive interactions on the job, in the classroom, and the community at large.
• Educating students about various cultures does not mean abandoning the teaching of Western civilization. However, there have been times that traditional courses have been eliminated or downplayed in the name of multicultural education. At Mount St. Mary's College and the Center for Cultural Fluency, the goal is to expand what teachers and students learn rather than to substitute one exclusive topic for another.
• Culture affects how students learn, how teachers teach, and how teachers and students interact. Cultural misunderstandings can derail the learning process. When teachers grow in understanding of the cultures from which their students come, they become more effective.
• Teachers are in a powerful position to influence children and adolescents toward an understanding and appreciation of people from different ethnic groups. To avoid addressing the ethnic diversity of communities and the nation itself, a fundamental reality in children's lives, is to shortchange students, leaving them unprepared for the challenges and reality of a multicultural society.
• The United States and the City of Los Angeles need places where sensitive issues relating to race and culture can be discussed openly in a supportive environment, where people can safely ask questions about other cultures without being labeled ignorant or racist, where dialogue is the rule rather than the exception. The Center for Cultural Fluency provides such an environment for the teachers in Los Angeles (p. 9).
Conclusion
The United States is moving toward becoming a society that has no ethnic majority. "The demand for multiculturalism is strong in the contemporary world and is invoked in the making of social, cultural and political policies, especially in Western Europe and the United States" (Sen, 2006, par 1). Demographics suggest that the world is moving toward becoming a multi-ethnic and international culture (Visions, n.d.). Sen (2006) asserted that this should not be a surprise considering the fact that increased global contacts and interactions, especially extensive migrations, have positioned the diverse practices of different cultures in close proximity to one another.
Many researchers and organizations have reported on the individual, institutional and societal benefits of diversity and teaching from culture-centered perspectives (Chang, Witt, Jones & Hakuta, 2000). For example, at the individual level, the benefits are generated as people become aware of and acknowledge racial differences. The institutional level is geared towards employers and focuses on how the organizational culture changes as a result of cross-cultural understanding. Benefits to society can be experienced as scholars continue to pursue research opportunities and address issues such as gender, race, ethnicity and affirmative action in the workplace.
There are many thoughts as to what the role of diversity should be on many campuses across the country. Some would argue that each institution should be reflective of the community it represents, whereas, others believe that diversity initiatives discriminate against the majority population. The use of multicultural resource centers can assist faculty and staff with guiding the student population in becoming culturally aware. The Center for Cultural Fluency at Mount St. Mary's college was founded in 1995 in order to fill the above-mentioned goal (Sawchuk, Taylor, Perry & Mt. Saint Mary's College, 1997). Some important facts about the establishment are:
• The Center has been charged with teaching the truth about the United State's history.
• Every aspect of the College's education process is characterized by concern for the individual (i.e. the student's goals, talent and development).
• The Center is a resource center for K-12 teachers who are trying to address the cultural diversity in their classrooms. It provides materials such as books, videotapes, audio tapes, and art representing culturally diverse perspectives.
• The collection of resource materials serve as a basis for the professional development workshops that are run every fall. Participating teachers receive two continuing education units for participating in the forum and a $100 stipend to be spent on multicultural materials for their classrooms.
• The Center is staffed by education professors at the College. These professors have extensive expertise and experience in multicultural education and curriculum development.
• The staff at the Center has invited educators and community leaders to be part of the Advisory Council. These individuals come from various ethnic groups.
• A major goal of the Center for Cultural Fluency is to collect resources for teachers who are responding to a culturally diverse student body and to link those teachers with the resources that already exist in the community.
Terms & Concepts
Affirmative Action: A policy or program that uses proactive measures to ensure equal opportunity for a non-dominant group for access in education and employment.
Culture Centered: When one defines actions based on his/her relationship to the world.
Demographics: The observable characteristics of human groups and populations, used to identify population growth and movement, or to target consumer markets.
Diversity: In education, the practice of inclusion and tolerance for many cultures and backgrounds within a curriculum, school or learning environment.
Fundamentalism: A point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles and expectations of adherence to those principles. It is most often associated with religious movements.
Multicultural Resource Center: Center that seeks information about, focuses attention on, and creates dialogue around diversity issues.
Multiculturalism: The acceptance of differences and operating from a position of genuinely appreciating ones own cultural identity and that of others.
Totalitarianism: A form of government in which the authoritative entity maintains absolute and centralized control over all aspects of societal life. The individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is forbidden.
Bibliography
American Council on Education and American Association of University Professionals (2000). Does diversity make a difference? Three research studies on diversity in college classrooms. Washington, DC.
Chang, M., Witt, D., Jones, J., & Hakuta, K. (2000). Compelling interest: Examining the evidence on racial dynamics in higher education. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
DuBois, W. (2005). The souls of black folk. New York: Pocket Books.
Ehrenreich, B. (1991). Teach diversity-with a smile. Time, 137 , 84-85. Retrieved November 6, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9104081358&site=ehost-live
Eunhyun, K. (2011). Conceptions, critiques, and challenges in multicultural education: Informing teacher education reform in the U.S. KEDI Journal of Educational Policy, 8, 201-218. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=70313641&site=ehost-live
Evans, A., & Chun, E. (2007). Are the walls really down? Behavioral and organizational barriers to faculty and staff diversity. ASHE Higher Education Report, 33 , 1-139.
Gorski, P.C., Davis, S.N., & Reiter, A. (2013). An examination of the (in)visibility of sexual orientation, heterosexism, homophobia, and other LGBTQ concerns in U.S. multicultural teacher education coursework. Journal of LGBT Youth, 10, 224-248. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=88786006&site=ehost-live
Ogletree, Q., & Larke, P.J. (2011). Implementing multicultural practices in early childhood education. National Forum of Multicultural Issues Journal, 9, 1-9. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=69712937&site=ehost-live
Sawchuk, M., Taylor, N., Perry, J. (1997). Teaching for cultural fluency. The Center for Cultural Fluency: A model multicultural resource center. Celebrating cultural diversity in higher education series. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED412875). Los Angeles, CA: Mount Saint Marys College.
Sen, A. (2006). Identity and violence: The illusion of destiny. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Sen, A. (2006, February, 27). The use and abuses of multiculturalism. The New Republic. Retrieved on November 6, 2007, from http://www.pierretristam.com/Bobst/library/wf-58.htm
Visions, Inc. (n.d.). Multiculturalism. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from http://www.visions-inc.org/multi-c.htm
Suggested Reading
Agosto, D.E. (2007). Building a multicultural school library: Issues and challenges. Teacher Librarian, 34 , 27-31. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=23812167&site=ehost-live
Hinton-Johnson, K., Dickinson, G. (2005). Guiding young readers to multicultural literature. Library Media Connection, 23 , 42-43. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=16599559&site=ehost-live
Kim, M. (2004). Introducing multicultural resources and services at library and archives Canada. Feliciter, 50 , 19-20. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=12449878&site=ehost-live
Van Ausdall, B.W. (1994). Books offer entry into understanding cultures. Educational Leadership, 51 , 32-35. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=9406171602&site=ehost-live