Cultural Pluralism and the Quest for Nation （文化多元主义和追求的国家）.pdf

Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (Volume 14, No.4, 2012) ISSN: 1520-5509 Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pennsylvania CULTURAL PLURALISM AND THE QUEST FOR NATION BUILDING IN AFRICA: THE RATIONALE FOR MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION Francis Muchenje Department of Educational Foundations, University of Zimbabwe ABSTRACT This article seeks to show how multicultural education as a form of education for sustainable development can be used to accommodate the cultural diversity found in many African countries for the purpose of nation building. The article contends that nation building and sustainable development require stable nations in which case multicultural education has a role to play. Multicultural education can be seen as a reform movement that seeks to accommodate society’s cultural diversity leading to sustainable living. The concept of culture is discussed at length in order to create a base for the understanding of the concept multicultural education. The article goes on to look at the role of multicultural education in different school curriculum areas such as: language policy, curriculum content, the school environment and the nature of knowledge where cultural diversity has to be reflected. It is the contention of this paper that these different curriculum areas complement efforts directed towards nation building and sustainable development. The study concludes by highlighting the importance of education during this United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. However the paper also raises the view that the promotion of cultural pluralism and sustainable development should not be left to education alone, all social institutions for example politics and religio