BY Cassandra Chery and Sara Granger for Keiser University

1. Multicultural Education 101
Cassandra Chery
Sara Granger
Keiser University
EDU 511
June 19, 2016

2. Introduction
 There are many cultures in the world today. Each one has it’s own distinct
value system
 It’s own traditions
 Rituals
 Ceremonies, and many other identifying factors that are associated with the
different cultures of the world.
 Multicultural education is educating students, and making them learn to
respect these differences in order to get along in a peaceful and non
judgmental way with their fellow students, and any others that they may
come into contact with in their futures.
Sara Granger

3. Definition of Multicultural
Education
 Multicultural education is inclusive. This is because it is about all people, and
is for all people no matter what their:
 ethnicity
 Social class
 Language
 Sexual orientation
 Religion
 Gender
 Race
 Or any other differences that people may have.
Sara Granger

4. Why is Multicultural Education
Important?
 It is essential to note the diversity of cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and
races of children in schools (McCracken, J.B., 1993).
 A central concentration on multicultural activities across the curriculum can
benefit by helping to improve positive socialization behaviors among
children.
 The values of multicultural education encourage close working relationships
among the school and community.
Cassandra Chery

5. Defining of Values
 Values are any set of standards by a culture of what is acceptable or not
acceptable
 What things are not important or very important to be upheld within that
particular culture.
 For example, in the Jewish faith some aspects of the culture do not let
women sit together with the men it is a sacred value, or getting a divorce is a
major violation of the values within the marriage of the man and women.
 It is also what is right or wrong according to the culture
 Values are like guidelines to be followed by a particular group within a society
Sara Granger

6. The Meaning of
Tradition
 A tradition is a particular belief or behavior passed down within a group or a
society.
 These things can be symbols with meaning or a particular significance with
its origins linked to something in the past.
 Some examples would be:
 Specific holidays like Chanukah in the Jewish faith
Certain clothing a group may wear
 Dances within a group to celebrate a particular ritual
 Ceremonies to commerate certain milestones in a person life for example, a
Bar or Bat mitzvah in the Jewish faith marks the right of passage from
childhood to adulthood.
Sara Granger
Jewish Practices

7. Traditions of the Jewish Faith
 A boy or girl who reaches the age of 13 has a ceremony called a Bar which is for a boy, or Bat which
is for a girl Mitzvah. This ceremony is a right of passage from childhood into becoming an adult in
the eyes of Judaism.
 Another one would be families sitting down to do the Passover Seder which is to mark the passing
over of the angel of death, and the freedom of the Hebrew slaves, and the sparing of the lives of
the people from the killing of the first born children of any Egyptian family.
 Another tradition is when a man and a women get married the wedding party puts the newly
married couple in chairs and lifts them up to present them.
 There is a dance that is done called the Hora. This is done at ceremonies, and parties. This is to let
people know this is a happy occasion, and everyone should be rejoicing.
 The last tradition involves the death of a family member. There are certain things that have to be
done to be in accordance with the faith.
 One of these is when there is a dying person in the house all the mirrors are to be covered.
 Another one is when the person is actually buried the family sits for seven days without doing any
kind of work. This is like a time of morning and grieving for the family. People generally visit during
this time, bringing food, and other things to make the grieving family more comfortable, or just to
lend a listening ear.
Sara Granger

8. Religion
Cassandra Chery
Religion is defined to be a system of beliefs and practices
that attempts to order life in terms of culturally
perceived ultimate priorities.
For example, Buddhism is religion of eastern and central
Asia growing out of the teaching of Gautama Buddha that
suffering is inherent in life and that one can be liberated
from it by mental and moral self-purification.
Another example is Judaism. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion,
with the Torah as its foundational text (part of the larger text
known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible), and supplemental oral
tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and
the Talmud. It is practiced by Jewish people.

9. Cultural Nonverbal Behavior
 Nonverbal communication or body language is an important part of how
people communicate and there are differences from culture to culture.
Cassandra Chery
For example, in the Asian culture it is
disrespectful to make direct eye contact
with your elder. In the Haitian culture, it is
disrespectful to NOT make eye contact with
your elder.
In many cultures, slurping your food is
considered rude. In the Chinese culture, it
is considered a compliment to the chef.
In Latin American and the West Indies,
greeting people with kisses on the cheeks
is a major sign of respect and a major
piece of their culture. In Japan it is
cultural to greet by bowing for
respect.

10. Nonverbal Communication Gallery
Cassandra Chery

11. The Influence of Food
 The food that we cook plays a major role in every culture.
 The symbolic meaning of food sometimes has more to do with the culture,
then the actual food itself.
 All the essential necessities of preparing food and the actions such as capture,
cultivation, preparations and consumption are well-thought-out and play a
vital role in a cultural act.
 Social eating is has less to do with nutrition and more to do with bringing
people together.
 Food has also played an important part in tradition and religion.
 Selections of foods and nutrition may also impacted by culture, with respect to
various beliefs within the culture.
Cassandra Chery

12. International Cuisines
Cassandra Chery
The typical
Gujarati thali consists of
rotli, dal or kadhi, rice, and
shaak/sabzi (a dish made up of
several different combinations
of vegetables and spices, which
may be either spicy or sweet).
(INDIAN)
Jewish cuisine is a diverse collection of cooking
traditions of the Jewish diaspora worldwide. It
has evolved over many centuries, shaped
by Jewish dietary laws (kashrut), Jewish
Festival, and Shabbat (Sabbath) traditions.

13. International Cuisines (continued)
A Thanksgiving Day dinner
(AMERICAN)
Hot cross buns are a festive
food Interestingly enough,
these buns originate from
ancient English traditions of
Easter that have been passed
down by British colonists to
our islands since the late
1600s. (Bahamian)
Cassandra Chery

14. References
McCracken, J. B. (1993). Valuing diversity: The primary years. Washington, DC:
National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Saraksa, S. (2015). Conflict, culture, change. Boston, Mass.: Wisdom Publications.
Seltzer, R. (2016). Between Jewish Tradition and Modernity: Rethinking an Old
Opposition. Essays in Honor of David Ellenson ed. by Michael A. Meyer, David N.
Myers. American Jewish History, 100(1), 161-163.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ajh.2016.0005