Multicultural Education Multicultural Analysis

Alma Young
Multicultural Textbook Analysis
Georgia Southern University

MULTICULTURAL ANALYSIS

Introduction
As classrooms across the United States are becoming increasingly diverse, it has become
a need to educate students and teachers alike on the topic of Multicultural education. A resource
that can be included in this increasingly complex task is the textbook Multicultural Education
Issues and Perspectives, eight edition, by James A. Banks and Cherry A. McGee Banks. As
stated in the preface, the textbook is designed to help current and future educators become
effective practitioners in culturally, racially and linguistically diverse in classrooms as well as
help teachers attain an understanding of culture.
Data and References
While Banks and Banks accurately used an array of references and data to support their
claims, even though at times, the authors omitted data to make a point in their favor. For
example, in Chapter 15, Recruiting and Retaining Different Students, the author shows a table
titled Gifted Education Demographics, Biannually 1998-2006. Banks and Banks use this table to
explain that African Americans are underrepresented in gifted education. However, this table
does not show the overall US population by race, just students numbers in a district and
percentage of gifted students numbers. If the entire US population numbers are added to the
table, it is apparent that the numbers of gifted students fall in line with the African American
population as a whole (Infoplease, 2009). Another chapter that seems to have a similar issue is
chapter 11, Backstage Racism. In that chapter, Banks and Banks mention that music and comedy
are powerful tools of socialization that can that can subvert the racial hierarchy and use the
example that comedian Dave Chappelle walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract

MULTICULTURAL ANALYSIS

because he realized that he was not disempowering but contributing to the perpetuation of
negative people of color (pg. 205). However, it has been well known through an interview with
TV host Oprah in 2006, which Chappelle stated that the reason he quit the TV show was because
he was overwhelmed and felt that the Comedy Central executives were trying to control him
(Vineyard J. 2006). Since the Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives textbook was
copyrighted in 2013 and the interview where Dave Chappelle listed stress as his reason for
quitting took place in 2006, again, seems as if the authors pick and choose data and
information in order to back up their claims.
Visuals
While Banks and Banks made an attempt to add images throughout the book that
represented multicultural education, such as students from different ethnic backgrounds,
disabilities, genders and age groups, the authors still failed to represent students from every
cultural background. In particular when representing the LGBTQ students and socioeconomic
status, for example, in chapter 9, Queer Lessons: Sexual and Gender Minorities, none of the
images represented LGBTQ students at all. The same issue goes for students of different social
classes. The picture in chapter 4, Social Class and Education, does not accurately represent social
class in education. While it is understandable that the authors may not want to add pictures that
will enforce stereotypes of these groups, there is no need to sugar coat those topics and let the
readers view their everyday lives as they actually are.
Using stock photography also created the problems with illustration in the textbook.
From a business standpoint, stock images are cheaper to obtain and license than hiring a
photographer to take pictures of actual students in real classrooms/schools. Nonetheless, to
someone who is reading the textbook whilst looking at staged images, it will decrease the

MULTICULTURAL ANALYSIS

credibility of the authors. Banks and Banks could have added better images to the textbook and
used it to their advantage by making the readings in the textbook more thought provoking.
Agreements and Disagreements
Banks and Banks statement claiming that multicultural educational is a process whose
goals will never be fully realized (pg.4) is correct. However, one can begin to understand the
process by reading Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives as it is a great way to learn
about the histories of other social groups and ways to approach situations regarding other cultural
groups. The authors are correct in asserting that teachers from diverse populations will help
students from all backgrounds function more effectively in multicultural societies. These
teachers will also help white teachers learn about cultural strengths that diverse population can
offer to schools and society (pg. 157). Accordingly, educators and parents of cultural minorities
must focus on inspiring and these students to become educators so that they will eventually
become role models themselves.
While most of Banks and Banks ideas and statements are justified, they take their
arguments too far when they mention that in order for multicultural education to be successful,
schools must experience total reform. Although there are some changes must happen in the
current school systems, the school systems as a whole does not need to change in order for the
multicultural education concept to be successful. The dimensions of multicultural education,
such as: content integration, knowledge construction process, prejudice reduction, equity
pedagogy, and school empowerment can still be implemented without total/complete school
reform.
Chapter 17, Communities, Families, and Educators Working Together for School
Improvement, lists the importance of parent involvement in their childrens education and

MULTICULTURAL ANALYSIS

mentions steps to increase parent and family involvement. For example, the authors list seven
ways to maintain a two way communication between the school and the home, some of these
include: allow parents assist in the classroom, encourage parents to send notes home, solicit
information from parents about their views on educations, etc. Unfortunately, children who need
parental involvement the most are the parents who are unable to be involved. For instance, the
only reason why these ways of communication will not work with minority groups is because the
parents of the students who need these advice the most, often ignore communication from
teachers. The authors shouldve mentioned other reasons why students may lack parental
involvement other than poverty, special needs, and single parents, such as language problems,
drug addiction or simply lack of care.
Suggestions
Overall the textbook was very informative. Any person of any cultural background will
learn about diversity in all social groups as well as different terminology. Though, the textbook
couldve been done without the use of chapter 5, Christian Nation or Pluralist Culture: Religion
in American Life. Yes, religion is a social class and it is part of a students diversity, however,
due to separation of church and state, it cant be put into practice in a classroom so there is not a
need to add a chapter dedicated to religion in the textbook. In addition, the authors should instill
some sense of responsibility to the students to educate others about their cultural background and
ways to approach it. The multicultural education process will be more effective if it is a parent or
student who educates others about their beliefs as opposed to someone who may lack credibility,
for example, a white male teacher with an upper-middle class upbringing.
Conclusion
The textbook Multicultural Education, Issues and Perspectives its true to its title, it

MULTICULTURAL ANALYSIS

educates readers about the history of different cultures, their issues, as well as educational
approaches regarding those cultures. Multicultural education is a complex topic as there is no
right or wrong way to approach it. Banks and Banks were able to explain this complex topic in a
way that anyone can understand, with enough history on all cultural backgrounds, resources, and
activities to practice in the classroom and everyday life. Though the textbook unquestionably
achieved those goals by helping teachers understand the multicultural educational concepts,
many current teachers will not be able to implement many of the multicultural educational
approaches used in the book. For example, in a public school setting, teachers now days only
teach to pass the test and are no longer able to stray from the curriculum to put into practice
different multicultural educational approaches that will work with each and every one of the
students in the classroom. Nevertheless, the book goes through realistic situations and studies,
which will help students and teachers alike, understand and put multicultural education into
practice.

MULTICULTURAL ANALYSIS

References
Banks, J. A, & Banks, C. A. M (Eds). (2013). Multicultural Education: Issues and perspectives.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
U.S. Population by Race. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/us/statistics/uspopulation-by-race.html
Vineyard, J. (2006, February 3). Dave Chappelle Comes Clean On 'Oprah' from
http://www.mtv.com/news/1523197/dave-chappelle-comes-clean-on-oprah/