European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

314 EUROPEAN IDENTITY. INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND SOCIETYthese desirable quality levels when our social context is undergoingsuch continuous change?In this article we are going to refer exclusively to one curriculararea. We will try to explain the special contribution of the field ofScience towards a more multicultural, inclusive and tolerant society,according to the new trends in Science education and to our ownexperience.Some authors suggest a multicultural approach to ScienceEducation so as to face the new demands of the future Science-literatecitizenship. Being a scientifically active citizen implies not only knowinga reasonable amount of science but also being aware of itsconsequences for mankind, having developed lifelong learning skillsand, what is more difficult, having an updated vision of history,philosophy and sociology of science. Both contents and vision ofscience are affected when a multicultural scientific approach isconsidered.Defining multicultural Science educationMulticultural education is concerned, firstly, with learning-relatedproblems derived from cultural diversity within the classroom and withthe educational challenges created by children from ethnic, cultural orreligious minorities. Secondly, it refers to taking advantage of culturaldiversity in order to improve knowledge, attitudes and social skills ofschool children. There are some models of multicultural education thatwill not be dealt with here: the assimilationist approach, theintegrationist approach, the cultural mosaic and the cultural pluralismapproach.In this paper we shall refer to a multicultural and non-racist Scienceeducation approach suggested by Hodson. He asserted the following:(Multicultural science education) “comprises three basic elements:education of diverse cultural groups through a wide range of culturalexperiences, throughout life, in a multiracial and multiethnic societyat both a local and a global level. The ultimate goal is the promotionof social cohesion through critical awareness and the establishmentand maintenance of a socially just society through the acceptanceand celebration of diversity, the enhancement of self-esteem and theelimination of racism” 3 .3Hodson, D. (1993). “In Search of a Rationale for Multicultural Science Education”.Science Education, 77, 6, pp. 685-711.