Creating Multicultural Communities Through Art and Music: Diverse Perspectives

This handbook provides educators with resources andstrategies to create multicultural communitiesthrough art and music. The authors proposetheoretical and practical classroom methods todevelop strands of a multicultural curriculum usingvisual and performing arts. Dr. Hwa Young Carusoexamines the role of arts in forming culturalidentity and self identity as the United Statesexperiences a demographic revolution. Dr. O. C. BobbyDaniels exposes the sub-textual denial of majorcontributions by African-Americans in visual andperforming arts especially music by exposing themythology that American culture is solelyAnglo-centric. Dr. Lisa Hochtritt warns teachersabout the limitations of a classroom thatsuperficially embraces diversity as an activity morethan an attitude by using pre-packaged multiculturalart materials. Dr. Christine Staikidis describes aninclusive studio art and art education curriculumwhich incorporates a holistic approach to art makingthat is alien to the Anglo-centric protocol. Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton describes the unique capacity ofart tocommunicate ideas and advocate social change acrossthe spectrum of diversity.