“I don’t want my daughter’s kids to turn out like their mother who’s a drug addict.”
“I can volunteer my time and money in the classroom to do Easter egg dying with the kids this spring.”
“I want STEM to be more integrated in the arts, since I am a doctor.”
“I want my kid to think freely in the art classroom and not have to learn about STEM.”
These are some of the “I” statements of demands from parents who want what they think is best for their children in the art classroom. Many parents have different views which become contradictory of each other making them a challenge to meet. The bottom line is, you cannot meet every desire of every parent, but you can make modifications. Multiculturalism is seen at gatherings such as a parent teacher conference and these parents’ children need to learn about the concept for themselves.
The quotes above arose from a role play activity conducted in my course to expose us to multiculturalism in the style of a parent teacher conference. It’s important to note that not all cultural differences are linked to ethnicity. Cultural differences can be made based on income as well. In America, many cultural differences blend in the mixing pot or have American culture infused within to some degree. Although cultures are mixed in America and typically take on a part of American culture, they tend to tolerate other cultures. This high amount of cross over is typically given less attention of cultural distinctions compared to other countries around the globe where different social practices are segregated. Some of these countries are embracing the idea of interculturalism where the boundaries between these cultures are
broken. Some countries will learn neighboring countries languages and understand their history. Unfortunately, some countries still experience a strong divide. Intertwining these cultures allows for students to understand what their ethnicity means to them by comparing and contrasting. According to “Positive Intergroup Attitudes: The Role of Ethics and Identities” by Jean Phinney and others, students in a study from California who are European American value ethnic identity less. It is apparent, given the quotes above, that these cultural differences still occur within America. The art classroom is a wonderful environment for students to express their ethnicity as a means to better understand their identity. As children develop, especially in their high school years, they are on a quest to define who they are more concretely and the understanding of culture is essential to their identity development. Many classrooms avoid discussing these topics due to debate that may escalate quickly or discrimination that may occur outside of the classroom, but in America, we have a general culture that contribute to a student’s identity and these students also have a separate identity which is recognized through their families linage. Community is a smaller scale of how we view differences and similarities in culture. At the elementary level, having students discuss activities they do within their community and what activities children do in another region will help students compare and contrast the similarities and differences among geography, economic status, ethnicity, and history that influence a cultures identity and an individual’s role within their cultural community. Students can create images where the activities of different cultures become merged to understand the idea of interculturalism.
Meeting the needs of parents compared to exposing children to these ideas can be more complicated. Many parents have their identity formed as seen above. I recommend listening to what all parents have to say and finding a way to integrate their needs in the art classroom with modifications that address curriculum. Establishing a classroom that embraces multiculturalism helps students see other viewpoints, understand how to respect their differences, unite with their similarities, and create a more meaningful identity.