Overview | Articles | Instructional Ideas | Reviews of Resources

Overview

Globalization is a pronounced phenomenon in the 21st century.  As the political and economic influence of the developed countries over the world increases as part of globalization, the world becomes more interdependent both voluntarily and reluctantly.  The interconnectedness is facilitated by "newer" innovations of  telecommunication (e.g., internet and email), added to conventional ones (e.g., telephone, TV, video, and radio), which transmit information from one corner of the world to the other quicker and faster.  Transnational mobility has also increased due to easy and affordable access to air transportation.  Multinational corporations have intensified international collaboration as well as competition. Whether individuals become aware of it or not, the interconnectivity of the world is a fact of life in this century.   As a discipline that concerns itself with justice and equity regarding cultural diversity, multicultural education must rise to the challenge of globalization in helping students become aware of this phenomenon, develop less ethnocentric attitudes toward the world, become equipped with effective cross-cultural knowledge and skills, and simultaneously critique the shortcomings of this world-wide phenomenon.  This Fall issue intends to bring multicultural educational discussions beyond the domestic realm to the global context.  

This second issue of the year 2003 contains four articles, two instructional ideas, and reviews of printed and multimedia resources addressing the theme of globalization and global education (abstracts of the articles and lists of resources may be accessed by clicking the links below).  Three articles concerning the specific issue theme include works of Chang, Dunn and Occhi, and Jonhston.  Chang's article presents an analysis of college textbooks published for multicultural education courses, in which she examines how global issues and perspectives are infused in the discussion of multicultural education.  She summarizes and critiques various models of global inclusion that the textbooks adopt, and argues for the culturally rich and meaningful "global citizenship approach."   Dunn and Occhi's work and Johnston's work are similar in that they both promote a cultural understanding of Japan; yet, they adopt different approaches to accomplishing this goal.  Dunn and Occhi take advantage of an electronic communication tool, such as on-line chatting, through which  U. S. college students exchange questions and answers with Japanese counterparts.  This exchange results in reducing stereotypes and prejudice toward each other.  Johnston's work focuses on U. S. college students' learning about Japanese education through videos incorporated in their education course.  Using a pre and post-survey research method, he is able to demonstrate the positive effect of this instructional approach on U. S. students' increased cultural awareness toward self and others.  Miller and Endo's article, included in the Open Forum section, focuses on challenges that immigrant students face upon learning a new language and culture.  The authors not only list difficulties the immigrant students encounter, but also provide helpful suggestions for teachers to consider in helping them succeed in their cultural and lingual adjustment.  

Klein and Lund provide instructional ideas to be implemented at college and high school levels respectively.  Their ideas, however, can be easily adapted for different levels of instruction.  Klein uses world literature to help education students gain global cultural perspectives.  Her article includes several examples of world literature useful in this endeavor.  Lund promotes multicultural and antiracist activism to help students develop as active agents of social change.  As an experienced social activist teacher, he offers practical suggestions as to how to start such a curriculum. 

In the Art Reviews section, four installations by a Korean artist, Suk Nam Yun, are reviewed.   Five books selected for the Literature for Young Readers in the Book Reviews section are geared toward elementary teaching; out of seven professional books reviewed here,  two--Coaching Across Cultures and Mind Your Manners--will be particularly interesting to those involved in cross-cultural training for international business personnel.  The Multimedia Reviews section contains reviews of six websites and two videos.  Enjoy this free-access journal and let us know what you think of it!

Heewon Chang, Ph. D.
Editor-in-Chief, EMME

Articles

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP 

 Heewon Chang
Eastern University
U.S.A.

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CONTESTING CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS:
Using Internet-Mediated Communication for Cross-Cultural Education

Cynthia Dickel Dunn
University of Northern Iowa
U. S. A.

Debra J. Occhi
Miyazaki International College
Japan

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INTEGRATING JAPAN INTO AN INTRODUCTORY EDUCATION COURSE

 Scott Johnston
Carroll College
U. S. A.

Instructional Ideas

RE-VISITING JUVENILE LITERATURE AS SHARED CONTEXTS IN MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

Ana Maria Klein
State University of New York, Fredonia
U. S. A.

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BUILDING GLOBAL AWARENESS:  
Engaging Student Leaders in Social Responsibility

Darren E. Lund
University of Calgary
Canada

Open Forum

IMMIGRANT STUDENTS:
Problems They Face and What Teachers Can Do to Help

 Paul Chamness Miller
State University of New York, Cortland
U. S. A.

Hidehiro Endo
Purdue University
U. S. A.

Reviews of Resources

ART REVIEWS

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BOOK REVIEWS

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MULTIMEDIA REVIEWS