The Role of the School

in Transmitting the
Culture of All
Learners
in a Free
and
Democratic Society
,v^%-.*^
4&M,&
••&~ "•&.&$?' Gwendolyn C. Baker

Schools should foster diversity rather than expecting all students to accept one way of
doing things. That takes a well planned program of multicultural education.

The role and responsibility of the school (a) Schools are inefficient; (b) schools are socially
have changed dramatically. Schools are no longer and technically inadequate; (c) schools are inhumane;
expected to respond to the needs of a religious, (d) schools are inauthentic; and (e) schools are cul
turally authentic in maintaining the social-political-
newly independent, and rural society. The growth economic status quo of powerless groups in our
and development of our nation and world have society. 2
forced the institution to assume a new and dif
In other words, the role and responsibility
ferent posture. Schools are now expected to
of the school have changed, but it appears to
develop the social, personal, and intellectual
some that the school has not been successful in
capabilities of individuals within the existing
assuming its new role.
framework of a highly developed, diverse, and
technological society. 1 Whether or not the school
1 Lowell Keith, Paul Blake, and Sidney Siedt. Con
has assumed this responsibility is always a sub temporary Curriculum in the Elementary School. New
ject for debate. Criticism of schools, according York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1968. p. 13.
to the authors of the 1975 Association for Super
2 James B. Macdonald and Esther Zaret, editors.
vision and Curriculum Development yearbook, Schools in Search o f M eaning. Washington, D.C.: Associa
Schools in Search of Meaning, h as been of five tion for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1975.
kinds: p. 13.

134 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

 The curriculum of the school is much the school, then, is to foster diversity but within a
same today as it was years ago. The program is framework containing some common understand
varied and the list of offerings more extensive, ings." 4
but for all practical purposes the focus has re
mained the same. The school and its curriculum Developing Multicultural Curricula
have focused on one group of people, and all
activity and instruction have had a monocultural To avoid a patchwork approach to develop
thrust. The culture of the majority has been ing a multicultural curriculum, it is necessary to
transmitted to all learners. Our schools have take a global approach to planning. In other
presented one set of values, one type of life words, careful planning must be exercised to
style, and one mode of behavior, and have ex ensure that the learner has consistent and con
pected all students to accept this. tinued exposure to cultural diversity. This can be
Until the present decade, most did accept, accomplished if the planning for multicultural
but those who could not and would not brought
a new force to bear on curriculum change. At
tempts at curricular change and revision have Figure 1.
been made, but they have taken a patchwork A Model for Developing Multicultural Curriculum
approach. Curricular responses to meet the cul
International
tural needs of all learners have resulted in at *
U.S. Cultures
tempts to implement multicultural education. *
Ethnicity
Much of what has been accomplished has been
done in piecemeal fashion. Little thought or plan U.S. Cultures
^
ning has been given to the process of multicul (Ethnic, Racial Minorities. Religions. Sex)

tural education or to the manner by which it can

U.S. Ethnic/Racial
be integrated into the total curriculum. Minority Participation

Multicultural Education: A Process Community and State

Diversity

If the school is to assume the role of trans

mitting the cultures of all learners in our society, Family Variations

then the curricula of the schools must reflect the

cultural diversity of its students. Multicultural
Individual
education should be viewed as a process. Differences

Multicultural education is a process through

which individuals are exposed to the diversity
that exists in the United States and to the rela
education begins with the earliest learning ex
tionship of this diversity to the world. This
periences of the child for whom the school has
diversity includes ethnic, racial minority popula
responsibility. A conceptual approach that begins
tions as well as religious groups and sex differ
in the primary grades and continues throughout
ences. The exposure to diversity should be based
secondary schools can be effective. Objectives and
on the foundation that every person in our society
goals should be consistent with the life experi-
has the opportunity and option to support and
maintain one or more cultures, i.e., value systems,
3 Gwendolyn C. Baker. "Multicultural Imperatives for
life styles, sets of symbols; however, the individ Curriculum Development." Teacher Education 2 (1): 73;
ual, as a citizen of the United States, has a re 1977.
sponsibility of contributing to and maintaining
4 Louise Herman and Jessie Roderick, editors. Feel
the culture which is common to all who live in ing, Valuing, and the Art of Crowing: Insights into the
this country. 3 Affective. Washington, D.C.: Association for Supervision
According to Herman, "The task of the and Curriculum Development, 1977. p. 255.

NOVEMBER 1978 135

ences of each learner. Figure 1 suggests a type of ning in this fashion can offer a more organized
graduated learning experience that can accom way of providing for a transmission of cultures
plish this. to all learners.
As indicated in the model, children in the
primary grades can be exposed to individual Implementation
differences. The learning that occurs should sup
port the positive aspects of individual differences. Once the overall plan for developing a multi
This can best be accomplished by helping the cultural curriculum has been completed, attention
learner appreciate and value differences first and should be given to classroom implementation.
similarities second. Children who can accept dif
ferences positively in themselves and others will
have little difficulty understanding more obvious
cultural and ethnic variations later. Integrating
"The school can be effective in transmit
the basic concept of individual differences ting the cultures of all learners. Curricu
throughout all of the primary learning experiences lum planning is essential if the school is
will provide a foundation for understanding other
kinds of diversity.
to move from a monocultural approach to
As the learner progresses through Phase I a multicultural one that will meet the cul
of the model, accepting variations in family pat tural needs of all students."
terns and structures will be a natural step. While
it may appear to some that family variations have
little to do with multicultural concepts, this is not
necessarily so. To the contrary, this concept is The concepts to be developed, the objectives to
important in developing the necessary framework be achieved, and the level of progression should
on which later to base more complicated under be readily available to curriculum personnel and
standings as they relate to diversity. Once the teachers. This can be accomplished through in-
learner realizes that there are many varieties of service training.
family patterns and styles and that all are ac An impediment to successful implementation
ceptable, it is easier to move to the next level. can be the concern that instructional personnel
Exploring other kinds of diversity outside of the may have about acquiring enough knowledge
immediate life experiences of the student prepares about various cultures to ensure effective teach
the learner for an understanding of ethnic/racial ing. This concern can be minimized if teachers
differences found in the United States. realize that implementation requires a minimal
This approach minimizes the exposure of amount of knowledge to begin. Most have what
the learner to ethnic/racial differences in the is needed to make a successful start, but may
primary years and suggests that these differences need direction in how and where to begin to
are best handled by the student in the interme integrate multicultural concepts throughout all
diate grades. The rationale for this progression instruction. Once the implementation stage is in
is that one should understand self, family, and operation, acquisition of more knowledge is neces
the more immediate type of differences before sary to continue the process. It may be helpful
attempting to grasp the variations produced by to suggest three stages that can guide teachers
ethnicity and/or race. into implementation.
As indicated further by Figure 1, a complete The first stage can be thought of as the
exposure to the various cultures within the acquisition s tage. This is the period when one
United States (ethnic, racial minorities, religions, is becoming sensitive to cultural diversity, the
and sex) is not attempted until Phase II when impact of culture in one's own development, and
the learner has moved into the second half of the importance of culture to others. This stage
school experiences. An appreciation and under can also be considered as a time when one begins
standing of world cultures should be the focus to establish a knowledge base. This stage is never
once all else has been explored. Curriculum plan completed but does foster the move to stage II.
136 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
 it will be a phase or two of the specific subject
area for which the teacher is responsible. Specifi
cally, this may mean choosing to integrate read
ing, social studies, or art activity with relevant
content. It may also mean integrating a unit in
English, history, or science with multicultural
concepts. Bulletin boards and other audiovisual
materials should also create an environment to
foster diversity. This level is a place to begin and,
once the teacher is involved, the progression to
the next level can be a natural move.
The level that follows will find the teacher
integrating throughout all subject areas or in the
entire subject so that multicultural concepts and
content are pervasive. Meaningful multicultural
content should only be included as it is appro
priate and relevant to the instructional activity.
Integrating the involvement of diverse cultural
groups with related subject matter should be done
as naturally as possible.
The final level of enriching allows the teacher
Stock No.: 611-75046 87pp. $4.50 to build upon what has been established in the
Orders under $10.00 must be prepaid. first two levels. It will be necessary for teachers
AMoclMlon lor Supervision ind Curriculum Development
Suite 1100. 1701 K St., N.W., Washington. DC. 20006 to increase their knowledge base and acquire
additional information so that the enrichment
This can be considered the period of development. process can take place.
The development stage is the time when one The school can be effective in transmitting
forms a rationale or philosophy that supports the cultures of all learners. Curriculum planning
multicultural concepts and objectives. The final is essential if the school is to move from a mono-
stage is the involvement period when implementa cultural approach to a multicultural one that will
tion occurs. At this point the teacher is providing meet the cultural needs of all students. Imple
relevant content, appropriate instructional strate mentation of a multicultural approach to educa
gies, and related material. Once implementation tion can be successful if it is approached carefully,
occurs, at whatever level, stage I is repeated until deliberately, and sincerely. SL!
a sufficient body of knowledge is gained so as to
provide for full integration and classroom im 5 Gwendolyn C. Baker. "Instructional Priorities in a
Culturally Pluralistic School." Educational Leadership
plementation of multicultural concepts, content, 32(3): 176-78; December 1974.
and approaches. 5
In providing guidance for teachers who are
to be involved in implementation, the following
process may be helpful. This process contains
three levels of development: initiating, integrat Gwendolyn C. Baker is
ing, and enriching. Chief, Minorities and
The multicultural instructional content and Women's Program, Dis
semination and Im
activity that occurs in the i nitiating level is mini provement of Practice
mal. This is the point at which the elementary Croup, National In
teacher selects one or two subject areas or one stitute of Education,
or two aspects of the learning environment in Washington, D.C.
which to integrate multicultural content. In the
case of the middle school or secondary teacher,
138 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Copyright © 1978 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. All rights reserved.