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Cultural consciousness can be defined as the process of developing awareness of culture in the self, which can result in expanding understandings of culture and developing deeper cultural knowledge about other individuals and contexts. Culture in this process can be understood as the set of shared attitudes, values, beliefs, behavioral standards, goals, and practices that characterize an institution, organization, or group. As noted by Geneva Gay, we may not be consciously aware of it, but our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors are determined by culture that in turn influences our teaching and learning practices.

Culture and race are influential factors in society and schools. As ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity increase in U.S. schools, there is a need to address this diversity in teaching, educational research, and teacher training. Multicultural education scholars view the process of cultural consciousness as a fundamental step in the training and preparation for multicultural teaching and research. This entry examines what is involved in cultural consciousness and its application in education.

Cultural Consciousness and Multicultural Education

Proponents of multicultural education believe that developing cultural consciousness and engaging in conversations about racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity are critical components of implementing high-quality educational practices. The process of developing cultural consciousness involves acquiring cultural knowledge and understandings of culture about the self and others. However, multicultural theorists also posit that cultural consciousness without pedagogical action is insufficient for improving teaching in a diverse society.

According to multicultural education scholars, an important first step for establishing effective multicultural teaching is developing understandings of ethnicity and culture about the self and about different ethnic groups. In the educational context, the process of cultural consciousness is described as important for both teachers and students and requires a process of self-examination to unpack ethnicity as a way of understanding oneself as a racial and cultural being. Geneva Gay and Tyrone Howard define this process as developing critical cultural consciousness. The exploration of cultural consciousness and ethnic identity development is considered critical when individuals examine their ethnic traditions, which includes an analysis of their notions and beliefs about other ethnic groups and cultures, especially when individuals compare these notions about cultural diversity with other groups' beliefs about knowledge, truth, and reality. Teachers engage in this process of acquiring knowledge and self-awareness to critically examine and transform the cultural and ethnic biases they may hold about themselves and others. Teachers can model this process and engage students in the same type of critical analysis. Gay and Howard provide an example in which European American teacher education students can critically examine their perceptions of race and what they view as social priorities to compare them with another group's perceptions and priorities, such as those of Asian Americans.

Strategies for Developing Cultural Consciousness

Researchers discuss strategies for individuals, in particular teachers, to develop cultural consciousness. Gay and Howard outline strategies to achieve cultural consciousness, including cultural therapy as proposed by George Spindler and Louise Spindler; self-analysis and personal reflection strategies as presented by Gary Howard; and the model proposed by Maurianne Adams, Lee Anne Bell, and Pat Griffin, who describe eight elements of self-knowledge as prerequisites for teaching for social justice. Sonia Nieto also addresses the importance of developing cultural awareness by using critical pedagogy and focusing on knowledge, reflection, and action.

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