Education For Cultural Diversity

This book is a series of essays that aim to address the inadequacy of responses to the crisis of cultural and social equity in diverse societies. The book is divided into three parts, each addressing a different aspect of the crisis. The first part discusses the inadequacy of discourse between the two systems, cultural and social. The second part discusses the inadequacy of policy and practice in culturally diverse societies. The third part discusses ways to address the crisis.

One of the major problems facing societies, in almost all parts of the world, is the inadequate accommodation of social equity with cultural diversity. The crisis emanating from neglect of this issue can be seen in all societies. The lack of discourse between the two systems, cultural and social, means that there are fewer shared ideologies, on the basis of which accommodations can be negotiated. The inadequacy of those responses is the issue addressed by this series of books. It seeks to contribute, through joint publication and the stimulation of greater discourse, to identify the pathways to a less selfish and parochial response to the continuing dilemma of equity and diversity. In this first volume of the series, many of these themes and issues are raised, although the major focus is on the diversity of approaches to social and educational policy and practice in culturally diverse societies. Contributors have been invited to review, critically discuss and seek to extend the theoretical and ideological assumptions, underlying policy and practice in their chosen field.