Multiculturalism’s narratives in Singapore and Canada: exploring a model for comparative multiculturalism and multicultural education

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the diverse nature of multiculturalism. Although there is no lack of literature on multiculturalism, it is dominated by a Western paradigm and perspectives. This paper offers a model that takes a pluralistic perspective on diversity by locating multiculturalism within the imaginings of the nation. This model uses the concept of narratives with its ideological bases to invite dialogue among various multiculturalisms and to examine the processes by which particular multicultural narratives emerge within their socio‐political and historical locations. The Canadian and Singaporean multicultural narratives are explored to tease out some of the nuances of this model. Keywords: Canadacomparative educationcross‐cultural studiesmulticultural educationSingapore Acknowledgement I want to thank Margery Osborne for her invaluable encouragement and direction. Notes 1. E.g. Banks (Citation1993), Banks and Lynch (Citation1986), Giroux (Citation1992), Giroux and McLaren (Citation1994), Modood (Citation1992), Sleeter and Grant (Citation1987), Todorov (Citation1992), and Torres (Citation1998). 2. From 1970–2000, drawn from three comparative education journals. 3. As are May (Citation1999), Nieto (Citation2000), Salili and Hoosain (Citation2001), Sleeter (Citation1996), and others. 4. See also Kivisto (Citation2002). 5. See also Blommaert (Citation2005), Carnoy (Citation1992), Freire (Citation1993), and McLaren (Citation1994). 6. See also Ferguson and Gupta (Citation2002). 7. For fully developed examples of such analyses, see Bokhorst‐Heng (Citation1998), Gal and Irvine (Citation1995), Verschueren (Citation1991, Citation1996), and Wetherell and Potter (Citation1992). 8. This has appeared in speeches by other government leaders as well (see Bokhorst‐Heng Citation1999). 9. See also The Multiculturalism Act, sections (f), (g), and (h) (Goverment of Canada Citation1988), reproduced in the text above.