Last updated: 2024.4.18 8:30
Multicultural literacy is the ability to have a deep understanding of various languages, societies, and artistic traditions, which can be applied to devise and manage a vision or method in order to solve educational issues and modern problems.
■ It can also be defined as the ability to understand the circumstances of diverse cultures and cooperate with these diverse individuals. ■ Literacy is defined as “the ability to read and write.” Further, the ambit of literacy has been extended to mean “the knowledge and abilities that are related to some field,” e.g., “Computer ______” (5th Edition of Kojien). ■ What is literacy? On the Internet, the term “literacy” is used in connection with numerous diverse fields. Examples include digital literacy, media literacy, mathematical literacy, financial literacy, and adult literacy, the last of which refers to an adult's ability to read and write. Thus, adult literacy rate is the percentage of adults who can read and write. ■ Multicultural literacy could thus be taken to mean one’s ability to “read” diverse cultures. However, at this instance, the term “read” has a slightly broader meaning in that it includes understanding, experiencing, and perceiving. ■ The concept of "literacy" is both old and new. In Japan in the Edo period it was called "reading, writing, and arthimetic", which referred to the basic skills that were required for primary school education. In our modern global society, we are asked to determine the appropriate type of literacy to build on the foundation of the old concepts of "reading, writing, and arithmetic". In our program, we hope that you will seek the answers, embark on a journey, and arrive at your destination. ■ Multicultural literacy is to develop a good understanding of various cultures and societies and to develop imagination for others.
Questions & Request: mail to kamei[at]cc.osaka-kyoiku.ac.jp