Multiculturalism in Educational Institutions

Culture is basically the background painted by the society, thoughts, ethnicity and experiences of a person. It also encompasses all the tell-tales of your ancestors, your beliefs, traditions and perception. Every person has a different culture; the way he is brought up and his notions about life are all determined by factors depending on culture.

Even though multiculturalism sounds like a surreal terminology, it is not quite a melting pot of cultures. Rather appropriated as a cultural mosaic- the togetherness and institutionalization of societies and communities of different cultures. Multiculturalism has helped people of various cultures to interact with one another, accepting their different characteristics and linguistic differences.

Multiculturalism impacts Educational Bodies, like Universities:

When one enters Universities one is bound to be exposed to students from different parts of the world - Americans, Canadians, Asians, Europeans, etc. Not only do they have different cultural backgrounds, their languages too are usually unlike one another.

Student interactions give them a chance to get to know each other and comprehend their cultural backgrounds. Additionally, the students able to study together, hangout, without losing their own identity and compel students to coexisting harmoniously, hereby giving rise to Multiculturalism.

There are a number of Universities which include multicultural practices that recognize, support, share and celebrate each student’s accomplishments, beliefs and experiences. This aids other students to be aware of various cultural differences too. Some Universities uphold academic progress and achievements of students by making them a part of multicultural environments and activities.

Preachers can help International Students:

Professors and members of the faculty also require playing a role in encouraging the growth of these environments by developing a sense of multiculturalism amongst students.

1. Overlook stereotype: While teaching in classes, professors need to overcome the prejudices one holds against people from various countries. Every student comes from different places and understanding their essence and outlook would help understand more about their culture. In fact, teachers and students must treat all international students equally and with deference.

2. Linguistic hurdles: Sometimes, international students don’t understand English too well. The help of other modes like images, presentations, logistics, kinesthetic, music, mathematical, literate and spatial methods can be supportive. The professors should see to it that the students are paying full attention to the lectures. Also, very importantly, teachers should avoid the usage of jargons. All cultures have different opinions and dos and don’ts. Sometimes, few utterances are not acceptable while some can be vulgar. Therefore, that is one aspect a professor must be careful about. There are also certain myths that are frequently correlated with specific cultures.

3. Respect Diversity and celebrate: With several cultures residing under the same roof, the professors should take advantage of that and wield a gathering, where every student has to dress up traditionally, as per their race and culture. This allows students to be themselves and let other students know more about other diverse cultures. The gathering would also open their minds and make them accept multicultural behavior. This would eliminate any sense of discrimination against someone else’s ethnic origin.

All in all, Universities definitely help international students comprehend the essence of multiculturalism and makes their convening processes explore new horizons. The fundaments of multiculturalism open doors to other norms and social beings as they uplift the barrier of different cultures. The British Columbia based Colleges, Californian Colleges, Indian Colleges and many more educational bodies are welcoming international students.

The world has reached a point where they are far beyond prejudices. Of course, there are certain cultures which are still assimilating to the dominant cultures. Albeit, Multiculturalism has pursued, evolved and become acceptable world-wide.

Stella Richard - About Author:
Eton College is a PCTIA accredited private career British Columbia College specializing in Flight Attendant Preparation, Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Article Source:
http://www.articleside.com/college-articles/multiculturalism-in-educational-institutions.htm

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