ma is multicultural english literature

ma is multicultural english literature

Exploring Multicultural Themes in English Literature

1. Introduction to Multiculturalism in Literature

Juxtaposed, multicultural and studies in literature conjoin divergent lines of attention. In our school, college and university curriculums, multiculturalism often means reading literature about people of different cultures, especially works which reveal characteristics of such cultures, including more often than not themes concerning oppression, slave trade, or immigration. These works may, on the whole, be realistic assessments. Yet none of these aims applies on its own even to excellent literature, let alone to the great scope and diversity of world literature. Ample evidence exists to demonstrate that a narrow view of such complex and broad cultures can lead, as it has in schools, to a lasting, far-reaching, and limited portrayal of literature.

The term multicultural connotes a great variety of cultural differences. The cultures which serve to distinguish one from another are persistently shifting, overlapping, growing and changing, yet they remain relatively steadfast and constant. The range of research incorporating cultural diversity is fundamentally broad: from the study of education, social order, mass media and literature, the humanities and the fine arts. Although the concept experiments many accurate and broad suppositions, countable illustrations of these suppositions are difficult because such recurrence, networking, and exceptional quality are implied by the character of the concept of culture.

2. Key Concepts and Theoretical Frameworks

The term is now popular, commonly used across a number of touchstones such as identity politics, political identity, collective and individual identity, architecture and design, the identity of archaeology, and as the American novelist Philip Roth observes, “the pain of an individual turns into a revelation of the deepest structures of the human condition but it remains his. This is a return for all interested in multicultural questions – individuals are both representative of multiple cultures and societies, while at the same time unique and distinctive refinements of them. The chapters in this collection will question what often go on in education systems everywhere.

In this chapter, we explore the concept of multiculturalism, placing an emphasis on how conflicts and concerns are localized and expressed differently around the world. We begin by exploring some of the key principles often presented in relation to multiculturalism – that it reflects a plurality of cultural voices and values, and that it can enrich the experiences of individuals and collectivities. However, it is also within the rich space of multicultural debate and inquiry that human conflict and tension of the most mundane and dramatic varieties are salient. How policymakers and governments can address and actively seek to alleviate these tensions is the focus of significant inquiry as states and regions come to terms with the particular plural arrangements of that social space. Central to this exploration and a grounding framework of the core literature, we are critically assessing is the idea of identity.

3. Case Studies of Multicultural Literature Works

The next section presents examples of different types of multicultural literature which may be used in a study of the plight of Americans in a multicultural society. Generally, each of these works contains universal truths or values. They show human conflicts, similarities, and differences which are found in the experiences of everyone, and incidents which shape human lives. They may be compared and contrasted, and analyses of their themes may also be made to show that people of different cultural backgrounds have the same fundamental needs, desires, and emotional yearnings, and react in much the same ways to similar situations. They display events or actions of people who live definite cultures in this country, and which will have an impact on each person and on everyone’s future.

Several multicultural literature works, which have already been written, are very suitable for use in the case studies in high school. These works are by authors from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds who are representative of the various regions in the country. Some are contemporary works, others are from recent, as well as earlier periods in American history. Most readers of these works will find that they can easily identify with the characters, their actions and experiences, and the themes of the stories. Each selection addresses some particular aspect of American culture and/or an ethical or moral issue relating to human conflicts or values. I have chosen examples of works which occur in the form of novels, short stories, essays, and poems because they represent different types of literature. Also, they are appropriate for study in high school English classes and are readily available in most educational institutions.

4. Impact and Significance of Multicultural Literature in English Studies

The use of multicultural literature and themes as a teaching tool not only motivates the students but is very important for creating in the students an appreciation and respect for the struggles, achievements, and contributions of peoples from poor and/or minority culture beginnings. It is a way of saying to these students that they and their culture are important, that they are valued and have many unique qualities. Good examples of this kind of literature give youths positive role models both from any of the minority cultures represented in the literature and from the majority culture. They give all of us a chance to develop understanding and sensitivity, to share one another’s feelings of cultural pride and heritage, as well as feelings of shame for past and current injustices for many segments of society.

While the primary objective of multicultural literature is often to support cultural pluralism, its strategic benefits range from the development of reading and critical thinking skills to students’ ability to bridge the perceived gap between the clinical and the academic, sensing themselves as being a part of the honest enterprise of knowledge exchange. The study of literature can be a way for students to gain some understanding of this complex world. By choosing to include the study of the full spectrum of literature from various cultures, the instructor allows voice to the voiceless and welcomes them into society. When students see themselves in the characters they read about, they are more enthusiastic about reading and writing.

5. Future Directions and Opportunities for Research

There are certainly many positive depictions of Third World peoples and minorities, but according to Rabinowitz and Smith, “we will continue to limit understanding of these peoples if we encourage exclusiveness in academic engagement with their literature.” Recently, some critics have called for a focus on Afro-American literature as literature, noting that, while the identification of themes in that literature which echo the social, political, and economic dire straits of the Afro-American community is somewhat sufficient to make it of value, this approach shortchanges the multidimensional experience of the people. In a mirror of this observation, this article is intended to move multiethnic literature into its rightful place as a genre worthy of study—fiction, realistic fiction, nonfiction or science fiction. Multicultural literature is ready to take its rightful place!

A primary area for research in multiethnic and multicultural literature is the process of formulation and validation by competent practitioners who are sensitive to the politics of the word as they engage in the reading of cultural and identity markers. It is the process of exploring Third World/less economically advantaged literature with positive, optimistic, empowering visions that build bridges or dismantle boundaries which is the growth area—such literature provides an educating, cultural and transforming opportunity. The field of English education research is replete with chronicles of horror over the negative portrayal of peoples of color in books: the use of traditional literature to subordinate and marginalize minority groups, produce popular literature or critical essays that reinforce negative student attitudes.