Psychology

Language is the medium of culture on which their daily lives and identities are

based. To define what language can be spoken is to define the identity not only of the

individual, but also of the country. You will probably be surprise to hear that English is

not the official language of the United States. I was surprised. In my country Ukraine

when I was born and grew up official language is Ukrainian, but sixty five percentages

of the former Soviet republic is a native Russian language speaker. There are many

countries in which minority populations speak languages other than the dominant one,

such as Spain, Italy, and France. There have been serious conflicts between members

of the different linguistic populations in these countries. When natives of a country

cannot respect the values of another culture it leads problems with immigrants. The

United States protects individual freedom of immigrants and minority groups to develop

and use its national language within reasonable limits, supports equality of opportunity

to learn and improve new languages by providing a public policy and individual

assimilation approach for managing cultural diversity.

In the article titled “Multiculturalism and the common center”, author Diane Ravitch

indicates , “As a result of the political and social changes of recent decades, cultural

pluralism is now generally recognized as an organizing principle of this society. In

contrast to the idea of the melting pot, which promised to erase ethnic and group

differences, children now learn that variety is the spice of life...” She discusses about

the ultimate tendency of the "diversity" movement in American schools and describes

that both the melting pot, and cultural mosaic as being multicultural and refers to them

as pluralistic and particularistic multiculturalism. Another author, Anna Quindlen points

multiculturalism as preserving a "cultural mosaic" of separate ethnic groups, and is

contrasted to a "melting pot" that mixes them. This idea has also been described as the

"salad bowl" model. Both author, Ravitch and Quindlen , disagree as to the extent to

which model has occurred in the United States, but they aim the idea to challenge the

problem of the formation of national identity through the prism of cultural pluralism. It is

easy to understand this idea, if we point the differences between the USA

immigrants and minority groups, in a fact of relation to multiculturalism. First,

immigrants are people who arrive under an immigration policy which gives them the

right to become citizens. They accept the native culture and adapt to the society. They

learn English if they arrived not knowing the language. Millions of immigrants now

living have learned English or are learning it in order to participate in the US culture. In

1987, the coalition established the English Plus language information

Clearinghouse(EPIC). English Plus is based on the belief that all U.S. residents should

have the opportunity to become proficient in English one or more other languages.

With one shared language people learn to respect other people, other cultures, with

sympathy and understanding. Next, national minorities are groups that have in common

some or all of history, community, territory, language, or culture. National minorities

resist integration and fight to maintain their own social culture. For example, American

Jews are one group who have traditionally retained a strong identity within the larger

culture. There are racial neighborhoods such as oriental Chinatown in San Francisco

and black Harlem in New York. The most important “thorn” of a national minority aspect

is that, in the United States heritage languages often do not survive well from one

generation to the next as the shift to English takes place. Demographers note a typical

three-generation shift to English in heritage language families. First generation acquires

some English while remaining strongest in the native tongue; the second generation

usually becomes bilingual with more developed literacy skill in English because English

is the language of instruction; and the third generation has a tendency to become
English speaking with a little or no capability in the language of their grandparents. Ravitch pluralist point of view propouses between two types of multiculturalism: a benign, "pluralistic" multiculturalism, which she supports, and the bad, "particularistic" multiculturalism of the radicals. pluralist theory compares the -pluralist views on what the curriculum in the schools should include. The pluralist would like to include the history of all cultures while the particularist want to have the different cultures taught only their own history. In order to live in a multicultural world pluralism is neccessary because people are more tolerant of each other if they understand where a person is coming from and what their background is.
Ignorance is the cause of many conflicts between people, and education can prevent this problem. Ravitch distinguishes between two types of multiculturalism: a benign, "pluralistic" multiculturalism, which she supports, and the bad, "particularistic" multiculturalism of the radicals. The problem with Ravitch's approach is that the "mainstream" multiculturalism she likes inevitably paves the way to, and legitimizes, the radical multicultural

. none reorganize thoughtsIn, 'Multiculturalism and the Common Center,' Diane Ravitch compares the plualist views on what the curriculum in the schools should include. Thepluralist would like to in clude the history of all cultures while theparticularist want to have the different cultures taught only their own history. In order tolive in a multicultural world pluralism is neccessary because people are more tolerant ofeach other if they understand where a person is coming from and what the ir background is.Ignorance is the cause of many conflicts between people, and education can preven t thisproblem. Particularism stresses the importance of knowing one's roots and not b otheringwith other people's history. This is a very narrow-minded way of thinking whichleads to s tereotypes and judgements that people make. Particularism causes groups to beformed which exclude those who are not of the same race. America is thought of asEurocentric and not as a mixture of al l cultures. Particularist believe that the schools areonly teaching European culture and forgettin g about other cultures. Therefore supportersof particularism are trying to use particularism to gi ve children self-esteem. They believethat if minorities can see that other minorities have done gr eat things in the past they will beinspired to achieve high goals. Black History Month was suppose d to give AfricanAmerican children self-esteem according to particularist, but they do not have Asi anHistory Month or Indian History Month. What is taught in school should apply toeveryone. Parti cularism is not the main component in giving a child self-esteem. Aninspiring teacher or role mode l--not necessarily of the same race--plays a major role indeveloping a child's self-esteem. Michae l Jordan is a positive role model for many childrenof all races, not just African Americans.
Pluralism stresses one common culture brought together by a variety of cultures.Pluralism w ill teach children to be open minded and accepting of all people regardless ofthe color of their sk in by teaching them why people are different. Children need to beprepared for the real world and t his world their are people of every ethnic origin. It cannot be ignored that we must all live and work together. When a child grows upand begins his/her career, he/she will be sitting next to peo ple of other races. A persondoes not have to deny or forget what their background is, but it is i mportant to be educatedin every aspect of history, not just his/her own. Children can be very crit ical of otherchildren, especially if they look or act different, but if they understand why, they w ill beless critical. Pluralism will ultimately give the best results. It opens a person up to new things. One of the great things about America is its diversity, and we should not try toseperate it. In the schools it should be required for the teachers to teach about all cultures

sothat children will be well rounded. This will prevent children from being ignorant andracist.
If a class consists of only one race they should still be required to learn otherraces culture. A standard of teaching needs to be set that can not be changed.Everyday the schools become more dive rse and the children need to be able to livecomfortably in this type of environment.
America has developed a culture of its own, and it is not entirely Eurocentric. When theUnited Sta tes of America was founded it consisted not only of Europeans but also NativeAmericans, Africans, and Spaniards. All of these cultures influenced the American cultureand its development. The his tory of the world involves the collision of cultures and overtime many of them faded into each othe
r. Segregating the different cultures is regressingback to the time before the Civil Rights Moveme nt when African Americans and Caucasians useddifferent bathrooms and water fountains. It would be a mistake to use particularist ideasbecause it could cause tension and resentment between cultures.
Pluralism will end ignoranceans create a nation where people can live together in harmony.none re organize thoughts multiculturalism common center diane ravitch compares plualist views what curricul um schools should include pluralist would like include history cultures while particularist want hav e different cultures taught only their history order live multicultural world pluralism neccessary b ecause people more tolerant each other they understand where person coming from what their backgroun d ignorance cause many conflicts between people education prevent this problem particularism stresse s importance knowing roots bothering with other people history this very narrow minded thinking whic h leads stereotypes judgements that make particularism causes groups formed which exclude those same race america thought eurocentric mixture cultures particularist believe that schools only teaching european culture forgetting about other therefore supporters particularism trying give children self esteem they believe that minorities minorities have done great things past they will inspired achie ve high goals black month supposed give african american children self esteem according particularis t have asian month indian month what taught school should apply everyone main component giving child self esteem inspiring teacher role model necessarily same race plays major role developing child mi chael jordan positive role model many children races just african americans pluralism stresses commo n culture brought together variety pluralism will teach open minded accepting regardless color their skin teaching them different need prepared real world this world every ethnic origin ignored must l ive work together when child grows begins career will sitting next races person does deny forget bac kground important educated every aspect just very critical especially look different understand less critical ultimately give best results opens person things great things about america diversity shou ld seperate schools required teachers teach about well rounded prevent from being ignorant racist cl ass consists only race still required learn races culture standard teaching needs changed everyday b ecome more diverse need able live comfortably type environment america developed entirely eurocentri c when united states founded consisted europeans also native americans africans spaniards these infl uenced american development involves collision over time many them faded into each segregating regre ssing back time before civil rights movement when african americans caucasians used bathrooms water fountains would mistake ideas because could cause tension resentment between ignorance create nation where together harmonyEssay,

The aim of this article is to challenge the problem of the formation of national identity through the prism of cultural pluralism and language policy. On the example of the principle of liberal neutrality as a part of the hybrid theory of language policy, (which means the right of a national minority to develop and use its national language within reasonable limits which will be understandable for them), it is shown how to realize cultural pluralism policy. Two basic models have been established for language policy: a common
Monoculturalism
The eminent education historian Diane Ravitch, a leading opponent of the new trends, typifies these contradictions. In a major article in the Summer 1990 issue of The American Scholar, Ravitch distinguishes between two types of multiculturalism: a benign, "pluralistic" multiculturalism, which she supports, and the bad, "particularistic" multiculturalism of the radicals. The problem with Ravitch's approach is that the "mainstream" multiculturalism she likes inevitably paves the way to, and legitimizes, the radical multiculturalism she condemns:
As a result of the political and social changes of recent decades, cultu

West of Ukraine speaks Ukrainian, but Russian language heavily dominates in the east, north and south of Ukraine, so the Constitution language is Ukrainian, but demographics show majority of native Russian speakers. Ukrainian nationalists say the solution is simple: Everyone who wants to live here should speak the eponymous language. Certainty, I speak fluently in both Ukrainian and Russian, but I don’t agree with this cosmopolitism (almost Nazism) idea “We need to create a united, integrated nation, and that means we must have one common language. Everyone must speak the state language, Ukrainian.” It is not an unusual multicultural language dilemma.