From Multiculturalism to Interculturalism

We know that to have a quality library for our students we must provide “windows and mirrors” in the books that we shelve. They should be able to see themselves and learn about others. But that is not enough, just as it is not enough to highlight black history month or Christmas around the world as a particular group at a particular time. We need to move beyond the practice of multiculturalism and toward interculturalism. What is the difference and how can we do this?  To find the answer I turned to Janet Monseur-Durr, the Diversity/Educational Equity Coordinator for Hilliard City Schools and most recently the winner of the National Education Association Human and Civil Rights Award. Janet is a great person, students and teachers alike love her, and I spent some time chatting with her about this subject. Here are her responses to my questions.

What is interculturalism?

The psychological, emotional, and cognitive connections that educators share with and promote to students and the connections that should exist among students reflect the idea of interculturalism. Most of us are familiar with the term “multiculturalism." Multiculturalism offers educators a good first step in understanding and appreciating others and ourselves. But to me, the term “multiculturalism” can limit educators in teaching the idea of co-existing with others. Learning becomes more relevant and more interesting when students and teachers grasp how their stories, interests, and perspectives intersect, relate, contrast, and compare with each other’s realities. When we can do that, all students develop a life-long appreciation of one another and of the world that grows with curiosity. When young people experience interculturalism, they also acquire the interest, confidence, and new skills that encourage them to continue to explore the world nearby and far from them because they see themselves reflected and connected in others’ lives.

How can we start moving toward this in our schools?

Intentional pedagogical strategies and purposeful interpersonal connections which are rooted in equity, meaning fairness, rather than equality, which refers to sameness, provide an authentic way to move in the direction of better understanding each other, which fosters a deeper trust of one another. Educational equity practices honor the individual student and what he or she deems as respect and inclusion. To this end, equity efforts involve students by regarding who they are and what they have experienced and the ways in which they can offer authentic expertise to the learning environment. Practicing educational equity requires educators to consider what we are teaching and how we are teaching it. It obliges teachers to understand what has colored our own lenses, which filter how we see the world. This relies on the idea that we must become and remain self-aware and purposeful in the overt and covert messages that we send to young people in our teaching and in our interactions with them and their families. In other words, celebrating famous individuals from under-represented communities with “A Fact That You May Not Know” over the loud speaker at school is interesting, but not very long-reaching in terms of its impact on students from marginalized communities feeling included or developing a better understanding of each other. However, a more authentic practice, for instance, might involve school cafeteria workers who are willing to identify cafeteria food items that contain pork with a picture of a pig for Jewish and Muslim students who strive to remain faithful to their religious needs. At that same time, educators can engage in conversations with students that focus on our similarities as well as our differences. Subsequently, we send the message that students who do not eat pork belong to the larger community, and we also convey to all other students that their Muslim and Jewish classmates matter.

What are the academic connections to interculturalism?

There are several researchers from whom I consistently learn. Dr. Sonia Nieto, Dr. Paul Gorski, Dr. Christine Sleeter, Dr. Carl Grant, and Dr. William Howe are some of the most knowledgeable educators who offer useful best practices for teachers to become more self-aware and more intentional about what and how we teach. Another researcher whose work has tremendously informed my efforts in our school district is Dr. James Banks. Banks has organized educational equity ideas into five dimensions, which require higher-order examination of academic content, school practices and policies, and systemic social structures that promote interculturalism. Several years ago, I asked my students to use these five dimensions to analyze their school experiences and the connections that they have with their teachers, administrators, and other school staff and then to share the results with the adults from their school lives. It was fascinating! Throughout the year-long activity, the students developed skills to analyze their sometimes emotional experiences, articulate their responses, and inform teachers who were developing new curricula so that teachers could teach more deeply, more rigorously, and in more respectful ways that include all students in the learning process.

What role can the school librarian play in this?

It is necessary and even reflective of our democratic history that we stress to our students that their lives are intrinsically connected. It is vital that they develop the interest and ability to think and feel from other points of view and consider how their actions influence others’ lives. School librarians can support interculturalism by providing materials and resources from divergent perspectives and a wide variety of sources—including primary sources, which offer perhaps the most authentic materials that tell the human story. To promote a global focus on learning, librarians can ensure that library collections reflect the lives of not only students in their school, but also the cultures of people not represented in their community. In addition, participating in professional learning opportunities that focus on educational equity through conferences, such as the National Association of Multicultural Education, can build foundational knowledge of interculturalism, help librarians consider how they can leverage their expertise to support educational equity, and provide opportunities to network with educators from across the globe. These kinds of actions can encourage librarians and all educators in becoming more familiar with and more comfortable using educational equity practices both inside and outside of the classroom.

Food for Thought from Liz

There are several pieces in this issue that relate to the points made by Janet. There are many activities that can take place in the classroom which promote an understanding of and interconnections with other cultures. The learning plan "Global Tooth Fairies" in this issue is one such activity that establishes a connection between children around the world through a custom they share in common. This can easily be used as a springboard for conversations among your students about various customs that are practiced in their homes that may not be familiar to their classmates.

"Learning from the Rest of the World: Going Global" demonstrates to librarians that many concerns and issues they have are also shared by colleagues around the world. Talking to those outside our own culture about what they might do to promote interculturalism in their schools is a good way to get a different perspective on the matter.

Taking a cue from Janet and the article "A Cultural Heritage Exhibit with 21st-Century Technology," it is easy to see how such an activity can serve to increase intercultural awareness. Objects in an art exhibit connect with different students in different ways. Sharing these connections is another great way to increase intercultural awareness.

These thoughts from Janet have given me many ideas to consider. In addition to making sure our instruction and our collections are globally responsive, we must also ensure that our libraries are that space where all students feel safe, comfortable, and welcome, a place where they can find themselves and discover others; a place where diverse ideas can find common ground.