The Importance of Multicultural Awareness and Diversity in Education
Cultural diversity is a term that has gained immense prominence among Gen Z. More than schools and colleges, the new generation is getting more aware of multicultural references through many popular Netflix shows. Racism isn’t completely abolished, and we occasionally hear about racial intolerance and hatred on many Western campuses. However, that does not take away the positives. Since 2014, US public schools have seen a major rise in culturally diverse classrooms. Most classes have a fair share of Hispanics, Africans, and Asians, along with Americans. In fact, according to a census, the US education board predicts that people of color will dominate the American population by 2044. So, it is the ideal time to know why diversity and multicultural awareness are so important and why we must embrace them in the education sector. Keep reading.
Awareness of different cultures makes them broad-minded and knowledgeable about different backgrounds and encourages them to thrive in a diverse professional world. Diversity is an ongoing process, so educational institutions must prepare students to embrace the differences and make them more adaptable to the evolving world. To make the students aware of the cultural differences, teachers need to understand that all students are unique Learning Together, Growing Together. The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Friendships and College Assignments and Exploring College Assignment Help with each other ” So, here are the types of cultural diversity you can find in a classroom –
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnicity
- Language
- Socioeconomic Status
- Gender Identity
- Sexual Orientation
Once you are clear about these concepts, you can take these steps to promote multiculturalism and diversity inside classrooms –
- Know your students
Ensure that you are promoting cultural awareness in the classroom, starting with yourself. If you are a teacher, you should make conscious efforts to know your students. Take out time to know the cultural background of the class, their learning styles, hobbies, Logisim assignment help, and other things that make them unique.
If you demonstrate a genuine interest in knowing and learning about different cultures, the students will trust you, and you can bond with them easily. You can promote smooth communication, which eventually forms the core of a culturally aware classroom.
- Maintain consistent communication
Aside from knowing the students, teachers should also maintain a consistent communication flow throughout the academic year. You should schedule one-on-one meetings with students quarterly to check if everyone feels comfortable in the classroom.
You can encourage student-teacher communication to ensure none of them feels excluded and can have an enriching learning experience. Use this method to provide feedback to the students and tell them how they can work on their holistic improvement.
- Respect and acknowledge all students
Simultaneously, it is also important that you should be able to respect and celebrate every background. While being proud of your own culture is important, you should be careful not to degrade others’ beliefs. This is not only a great way to avoid any cultural conflicts but also can be a perfect ice-breaker during a conversation. Learning how to respect every culture is the most desirable way to ensure success outside the classroom as well.
- Practice being sensitive to other cultures
It is definitely very important to keep an open dialogue among students. It is also equally vital to be mindful and sensitive to other cultures, languages, beliefs, and traditions. Take your time to observe and understand the nuances of the different cultures. Pay close attention to how they use the language and use those observations to design the lesson plans.
- Give freedom and flexibility to the students
Teachers often adopt an authoritative and strict approach to managing the classrooms. However, students can learn the most valuable lessons through their own experiences. So, instead of being a hard taskmaster, give them the freedom to form groups on their own and do the homework.
You can act as a facilitator and encourage them to share their varied knowledge and perspectives to solve the assignments.
That brings us to the main aspect of this blog – why the students must embrace multiculturalism –
- Students become more empathetic
Promoting awareness about diversity and different cultures helps students to create a stronger connection with students from other cultures. This eventually helps them to shed any preconceived prejudices. They can empathize with people from other cultures as they get more aware of the struggles a cultural group or race may face.
For example, Black people have always been subject to racial slurs in different spectrums of life. When Native Americans empathize with the hardships black people have to ensure, they can empathize and stand by them if needed.
- Students become more open-minded
When students are exposed to different opinions, cultural backgrounds, and thoughts, they naturally get molded to become more open-minded. They show less resistance to new ideas and can easily comprehend different thoughts. They become capable of looking at things from a different perspective and show lesser or no judgment to people different from them.
For example, becoming open-minded helps you to easily interact with students with different sexual preferences or students coming from orthodox families.
- Students gain a better understanding of people
As students learn and work with people from different cultures and backgrounds, they develop a cohesiveness and understanding of other people. There is a healthy exchange of ideas which leads to a better understanding of the subject. It also educates students on being proud of their values and views and using them as strengths in discussions.
For example, students who have been studying in diverse classrooms since childhood can easily blend in any group and contribute confidently in their professional lives.
- Students get more confident
Students who are aware of other cultures and traditions always feel safer and more comfortable. They don’t get culture shock by seeing different things and traditions. They can effortlessly interact with wider social groups and communicate confidently in their daily life.
- Students become ready to work in a diverse workspace
The wave of globalization has made it evident that people should know how to work with people from diverse social groups and cultures. So, if students can be familiarised with different social groups, they will learn cultural awareness, which is extremely important to flourish in workplaces.
Wrapping Up:
It is crucial to remind ourselves from time to time why cultural awareness and diversity are important and the benefits they can have on students after passing out of school. To promote cultural awareness from childhood, and let the students bloom into better individuals.
Author Bio:
Phil Roy works at MyAssignmenthelp.com and offers online assignment help in Darwin. He is also a visiting faculty of Literature in a reputed college.