1. Literature review - Multiculturalism
Omi and Winant trace the history of racial theory and Multiculturalism providing an
outline of categories and definitions. The essay discussing the paradigms of race very clearly
lists these as ethnicity, class, and nation, and goes on to break them down further providing an
analysis of each. I found myself agreeing vehemently and appreciation the work as an organized
introduction into Multiculturalism. However, it was the conclusion that opened my eyes to the
unsaid in the essay. The authors state that none of the paradigms they discuss can suffice by
themselves. They list examples of how they overlap and use each other to explain issues.
Likewise, we as a class have been constantly referring back to topics discussed earlier in the
semester. I just mentioned Machery. This week’s essays themselves allude to Marx, Spivak and
others we have read. Thus the idea of weaving together applies not only to the racial paradigms
but to completely understanding all of cultural theory. Omi and Winant state that authors writing
within a particular paradigm make powerful insights and advances to the overriding theory.
However, they also remind the reader that being aware of other theories and/or paradigms is
necessary in order to achieve a complete perspective.
The idea of overlapping theories and ideas comes up again in Giroux’s push for an anti-
racists Pedagogy. More specifically he uses the symbol of a border to present the space of open-
mindedness, Multiculturalism and crossing “over into different cultural zones.” Here the border
lends itself to achieving Pedagogy with a complete perspective. He then lists seven suggestions
for developing this anti-racist classroom. Within these rules lie the ideas and theories that have
arisen in class. The discourse of power, for example, is related inside the classroom and in
understanding the relationship the teacher has with her students. Thus Giroux’s text is , as with

2. Omi and Winant’s, more that what it seems. In this case the formula for an anti-racists Pedagogy
is just one example of how to apply a cross-cultural and theoretical perspective.
The ability of the reading to refer back to other discussions is one of the valuable assets
of Multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is about deconstructing of the other, it rides by the side of
Feminism, it projects towards Multinationalism and it remind the individual of their place in the
discourses around them. Thus “multi” may become a theory on its own: Multitheoretical.