This document discusses empowerment and multiculturalism in education. It presents views from Guistein and Sleeter on linking curriculum to real-world issues of social justice to give students tools to positively transform society. Teachers should guide students to question authority and challenge the status quo. Sleeter believes power should lie with constituent communities rather than just administrators. Gutstein views mathematics as a way for students to critique society and seek equality and justice. Empowerment involves constituents directly getting involved to see how their actions create change. The purpose of a multicultural curriculum is to recognize barriers faced by marginalized groups and inspire political advocacy for equality.

1. Yan Zhu Empowerment and Multiculturalism Presentation Based on Guistein & Sleeter’s articles

4. Gutstein’s view of “power” Use mathematics to understand relations of power, resource inequities, and disparate opportunities between different social groups and to understand explicit discrimination based on race, class, gender, language, and other differences. Both students and teacher should work together, or collaborate to can raise questions, challenges, differences, and problems while conducting political analysis of society.(teachers and students are partners)= similar to Sleeter’s concept of power where the power holders and the constituents should work together. Mathematics empowers students to critique society and seek changes based on their reflective analysis Mathematics empowers themselves to push societies to equality, justice, and larger sociopolitcal context.

5. Empowerment Sleeter’s view? According to Sleeter, there are four main sectors in a movement: the constituent base, the power holders, the activist, and the general public. The constituent base stands in opposition to the power holders (must be confronted) Whatever action strategies is chosen,(routine advocacy, education and persuasion, negotiation, direct action) you MUST get the constituents directly involved so that they see a direct connection between their own actions and organization and results = empowerment. What is the purpose(my view) of empowerment? How can this word function in my own curriculum? It is a process that facilitate power in people, for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important. Empowerment is achieved from sharing, changing, and expanding our powers. In order to change for the better, we need to listen, and work together with our students, the community, parents to develop a well rounded curriculum.

6. Purpose of Multicultural Curriculum For teachers, recognizing the barriers marginalized communities and groups faces. Work together to change the structures that are serving as barriers. Inspire students to act politically, to advocate both individually and collectively for themselves and for other marginalized people.