The journey: An ethnographic case study of multicultural education in a predominately White, rural, public elementary school

The purpose of this study was to understand how a predominately White school conceptualized and implemented multicultural education. Presently, multicultural education is discussed in the contexts of urban or suburban school settings in which there are students from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Little has been written about multicultural, particularly anti-racist/anti-bias, education in mostly White rural areas. The study was conducted over a five-month period from February 1993 through June 1993 with informal visits in the fall and spring of 1994. The data is based on observations, documents, and interviews with teachers, aides, staff, and parents. Questions addressed definitions of multicultural education, successes and barriers encountered in the process, and suggestions for further improvement. The section on definitions of multicultural education includes eight categories: Accepting and Respecting Self and Others, Learning About Self from Others, Developing Critical Thinking Skills, Addressing Issues of Bias, Learning Through Contact, Standing Up for Justice, Going Through the Process, and Integrating Throughout the Curriculum. Factors contributing to the school becoming more multicultural were: a strong and open staff, an in-depth, interdisciplinary curriculum, a school-wide practice of inclusion, a small school with strong parent involvement, and a supportive community located relatively close to a university town. Factors that hindered the school from becoming more multicultural included: an ambivalence about the role and significance of race and racism, a lack of agreement about who ought to provide leadership and how, a lack of a permanent forum for discussion and guidance as the school moves through controversial issues, and a state of constant change which made planning difficult. Despite these barriers, the school community\u27s capacity and commitment to learn and grow creatively in the face of such challenges suggested a strong foundation for the life-long process of becoming a multicultural school