Global & multicultural influences on social studies curriculum
Date
2009-06-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
We live in a world marked by constant change. We are linked in time, place and space to individuals around the globe. In a country as culturally diverse as Canada it is inevitable that
issues of globalization and multiculturalism surface in educational realms. As educators it is
imperative that we provide our students with opportunities to explore global and multicultural
concepts as they impact them on local and international levels. The study of these concepts lends itself more easily to social studies curricula. Thus, an examination of Saskatchewan social studies curricula at the middle level over a period of time (1978- 1999) served as a tool to
determine the impact globalization and multiculturalism have had on the curriculum. The review of the literature revealed the following issues: both global and multicultural education are difficult to define, resulting in difficulty implementing both these concepts in the classroom.
Both concepts became more prominent in Canada during the 1970s and 1980s. While globalization and multiculturalism are different concepts, they do contain commonalities. These commonalities were used to determine the impact globalization and multiculturalism have had on the curriculum. Four main stages were found to exist that describe the common elements of the two concepts: equality, awareness, critical response and empowerment. Content analysis methodology
was used to accurately interpret the curriculum documents that were analyzed, while grounded
theory served as a framework for conducting the research. Key word counts were performed,
followed by an examination of the word in the context it was placed in. Once examinations of all
the curricula were conducted for each grade and year separately they were analyzed individually
and then together. The findings revealed the following themes: the 1978 curriculum was not
influenced by globalization and multiculturalism, and while the 1987/88 and 1999 curricula do
embrace elements of globalization and multiculturalism they only do so in certain stages of the model- mainly awareness and equality. In the conclusion, implications on education and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Description
Keywords
social studies curriculum, globalization, multiculturalism
Citation
Degree
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Department
Curriculum Studies
Program
Curriculum Studies