Narrative and Experience in Multicultural Education

"Narrative and Experience in Multicultural Education provides compelling stories that raise questions, advance understandings, and promote insight into the challenges and hopes of teaching for diversity and democracy. The works contained are compelling for the stories they tell and, as such, there is value in their presence. That the thoughtful reader can glean important lessons with respect to multicultural education and the value of narrative inquiry as academic disciplines is intellectual ′icing-on-the-cake.′"
—Francisco Rios, University of Wyoming

"This work is a very exciting, important, and badly needed piece of scholarship offered by some of the most leading-edge professors in the field. The diversity and diverse viewpoints it presents are unparalleled in the field of education."
—Cheryl J. Craig, University of Houston

"The narratives in this book allow readers to put a human face to an issue related to multicultural education.  A reflective reader will begin to see himself/herself in the narratives of the text."
—Edmundo F. Litton, Loyola Marymount University

"The inclusion of chapters that deal with classroom realities elevate the text for education teacher candidates above those existing volumes that tend to deal with multi/inter-cultural issues in the abstract. One of the strengths of this volume is that it will resonate with new and experienced classroom practitioners."
—Jon G. Bradley, McGill University

Narrative and Experience in Multicultural Education explores the untapped potential that narrative and experiential approaches have for understanding multicultural issues in education. The research featured in the book reflects an exciting new way of thinking about human experience. The studies focus on the lives of students, teachers, parents, and communities, highlighting experiences seldom discussed in the literature. The authors are diverse and their inquiries are far ranging in terms of content, ethnic groups studied, and geographic locations. They also bring their personal experience to the inquiries, actively participate in the lives of the people with whom they work, care deeply about the concerns of their participants, and search for ways to act upon these concerns. Most importantly, the work emphasizes the understanding of experience and transforming this understanding into social and educational significance.

Key Features

• Addresses new ways to explore multicultural issues in education; rather than relying on theoretical generalizations, the book focuses explicitly on individual and group experiences
• Emphasizes the transformation of experience into education, especially through the study of complex multicultural issues
• Challenges readers′ assumptions of multicultural issues by offering numerous narrative accounts and research studies for work with various ethnic groups

Narrative and Experience in Multicultural Education is designed for use in courses in multicultural education and qualitative research, especially in departments of education, anthropology, and sociology. Professional educators, researchers, and consultants will also find this a valuable introduction to narrative research and a welcome addition to the literature.