Religion and Multicultural Education
Felix Cruz
Fordham University
September 16, 2009
Religion can be a two-edged sword when it comes to multiculturalism and promoting diversity. Hardcore religious fundamentalists tend to be segregated and will not conform to multiculturalism and diversity. Fundamentalists will usually relate to persons who follow their tenets in all aspects of their lives and will not reach out or socialize with other individuals of different religious beliefs. For some individuals, their religion takes precedent over all other microcultures. Some of the mainstream religions such as Evangelicals or Christians in general believe that we are all children of God and belief that all cultures can live together in harmony and in love for one another.
The establishment of religious schools that cater to a particular culture or ethnic group is a setback to the movement for multiculturalism and diversity in our schools. The students that attend these schools and continue their education at a school of higher learning may experience a discontinuity in teaching methods which may contribute to discouragement in the educational process. Some religious groups may contribute to a more divisive society rather than being a means to bring people of different cultural backgrounds together and therefore become vehicles that promote ethnocentric individuals.
References:
Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2008). Multicultural education in a pluralistic
society (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill / Pearson. (ISBN 0-13-613899-0)
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To Feliz Cruz
ReplyDeleteFrom Laura Nugent
I favor the establishment and attendance at religious schools and I think all people should be proud of their ethnicity and should remain true to their religious beliefs and customs. In your comments, you are suggesting that a person cannot adjust to higher education (at the age of 17 or 18) because their previous religious education has stunted their ability to adjust to a secular multicultural classroom. We all have to spend our lives adjusting to people of all races and cultures both in schools, socially and in the workplace.There may be challenges, but it is not necessarily divisive. I prefer that all races and cultures maintain their individual heritage as much as possible. We can't disconnect from our ancestry.
Laura Nugent
Let's not forget that Christianity has had it's share of negative history globally in stripping many ethnic groups of their religions and culture, and forcing conversions while professing to be superior to all other religions. This has contributed to many ethnic groups who have been persecuted for their religious practices, and have finally regained the right to reclaim what was taken away from them the desire to erect such school for the preservation of their religion and heritage.
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