Abstract:
Critical multiculturalism emerged in the 1990s as a considered critical theoretical response to the limitations of previous forms of multicultural education. However, as with critical theory more generally, it has since often been criticised for an inability to translate its theoretical concerns into actual pedagogy and practice. In response, an international project was established to address this lacuna directly - exploring the specific pedagogical implications of critical multiculturalism in schools and teacher education in various national contexts, including Aotearoa/New Zealand (May & Sleeter, 2010). This symposium includes the New Zealand contributors to that project. The papers explore the theory and praxis implications involved in developing a critical multicultural approach to education, along with specific examples of practice. In the process, the contributors also explore explicit connections with other critical approaches, most notably, critical race theory, antiracist education, and critical pedagogy.