not assimilation of students into one general culture; rather the thrust is that of "cultural pluralism."
Cultural pluralism is an educational philosophy defined by Gonzalez (1995) as focusing on understanding and appreciating differences among people, so that ethnic groups can maintain their customs, folk mores, and languages, and still work together with other groups. Gonzalez states that ideally, cultural pluralism promotes a sense of wholeness within society based on the strengths of each of its parts or groups, and maintains that ethnic group interests can coincide with the interests of the nation.
It is the philosophy of cultural pluralism that serves as the conceptual foundation for multicultural education (Gonzalez, 1995). Multicultural education, therefore, can be defined as education that seeks the cultural enrichment of all children and youth through the curriculum, and at all levels of education, kindergarten to grade 12.
Wagner (1992) reports that multicultural education also encompasses a variety of curriculum materials and instructional techniques. These include introducing materials that are multiracial, multiethnic and nonsexist and incorporating various cultural and ethnic activities in the classroom and school-community program. Multicultural education also utilizes multicultural materials and techniques to promote and teach values respectful of cultural diversity and individuality (Wagner, 1992).
According to Eshleman (1991), one of the primary means of elevating the social status and self-esteem levels of minority groups in America is education. However, proponents of multicultural education (e.g. Moses, 1991; Singer, 1993) state that standard educational curricula over-focuses on European achievement and ideas thereby presenting a Eurocentric perspective that does not adequately address the educational, sociopolitical, or psychological needs of minority and/or other at-risk student groups. <...