Democracy and Multicultural Education (Hc)

A volume in Research in Multicultural Education and International PerspectivesSeries Editors Farideh Salili and Rumjahn Hoosain, The University of Hong KongDemocratic political systems and the democratic way of life is aspired by most people around theworld. Democracy is considered to be morally superior to other forms of political systems as itaspires to secure civil liberties, human rights, social justice and equality before the law foreveryone regardless of their gender, culture, religion and national origin. Enshrined in democracy isseparation of religion and state, fair and competitive elections of leaders according to a country'sconstitution which in turn is based on democratic ideals. Democracy aspires for people of differentbackgrounds to live together with their differences intact, but all contributing towards a better lifefor all.In today's increasingly pluralistic societies many people of different cultural and nationalbackgrounds are brought together. Many have migrated from countries with autocratic politicalsystems. Some with religions that require them to behave in different way, others with cultures teaching them values of harmony,collectivism and conformity as opposed to the culture of their host country emphasizing individualism and cherishing differences.Hence, in multicultural societies development of pluralistic democracy, a democracy which includes respect for diversity is essential.A truly multicultural education which is based on the assumption that different cultures will be equally represented in education goes along way towards education for democratic citizenship. Such an education would make students aware of issues of human rights andjustice and encourage them to define their own values and ways in which they could contribute to a better world. The aim of thisvolume is to provide a forum for discussion of how multiple social perspectives and personal values can be brought together oncommon grounds around matters related to democracy. Contributions from research, and scholarly theoretical work as well aspresentation of existing creative models of democracy education will be included. Authorsfrom the major democracies will comment on the models and practice of multiculturaleducation in their respective countries, to facilitate discussion and learning from eachothers' experiences.