Multicultural Classrooms

Historically, the idea of multiculturalism has been defined in many different ways. For some, the label refers specifically to ethnic group differences; for others, it spans such concepts as socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, or any demographic data that differentiate one person from another. All of these are valid areas of multicultural study, but two in particular (economics and ethnicity) have the largest impact on educational performance. Thus, this entry addresses culture mostly in terms of ethnic and economic differences. It should also be noted that, when specific examples of ethnic differences are provided, only White, African American, and Hispanic people are discussed in any detail because these three ethnicities make up more than 80% of the general population of the United ...