Globalisation and Multicultural Education (Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, 47)

This book analyses dominant discourses of globalisation, multiculturalism and schooling. The chapters advance further the discussions on globalisation and its impact on cultural diversity and multiculturalism in a globalised world. 

Multicultural education, as presented in this volume, is seen in a broad context. It includes factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, culture, age, and physical ability, as well as a variety of beliefs and values. Zajda has argued that globalisation represents a synthesis of technology, ideology, and organisation, specifically related to border crossings of people, global finance, trade, IT convergence, as well as cross-cultural communication. The reality of multiculturalism has been brought into stronger focus because of globalisation. Multiculturalism is more evident today because of globalisation.

The book contributes in a very scholarly way, to a more holistic understanding of the nexus between globalisation and dominant models of multicultural education, and their impact on students’ engagement, and academic achievement.

Joseph Zajda is a Professor at the Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University (Melbourne Campus). He specialises in globalisation and education policy reforms, social justice, history education and values education. He has written and edited 45 books and over 150 book chapters and articles on globalisation and education policy, higher education and curriculum reforms. He is also the editor of the 24-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research (Springer, 2009 & 2021). Recent publications include: Zajda, J (Ed). (2020a). Globalisation, ideology and neo-liberal higher education reform. Dordrecht:  Springer. Zajda, J. (Ed). (2020b). Human rights education globally. Dordrecht:  Springer. Zajda, J. (Ed). (2020c). Globalisation, Ideology and Education Reforms:  Emerging paradigms. Dordrecht:  Springer; Zajda, J. (2018). He is an elected fellow of the Australian College of Educators(FACE).

Suzanne Majhanovich (Western University) is Professor Emerita and Adjunct Research Professor at the Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. She has published numerous articles and edited books, and has guest-edited (with different others) five special issues of the International Review of Education. Her research interests include globalization, internationalization and education restructuring, as well as first and second language acquisition and the teaching of English and French in international contexts. She was the senior author of the French text series En français s’il vous plait and also worked at times on contract for the Ministry of Education developing curriculum guidelines for French as a Second Language and International Languages. She has been active in the Ontario Modern Language Teachers’ Association and was awarded a Life Membership in 2000. Before joining a faculty of education, she taught secondary school French as a Second Language and German. She co-edited the special issue of the International Review of Education: Journal of Lifelong Learning  (with Diane Napier and Norberto Fernández Lamarra), “New Times, New Voices” based on selected papers from the thematic group on Higher/adult Education of the 2013 WCCES in Buenos Aires, which appeared as volume 60(4) 2014. Professor Majhanovich also co-edited several volumes on Comparative Education for Sense Publishers. In June, 2013 she was honoured to receive the David N. Wilson Award for contributions to Comparative and International Education from the Comparative and International Education Society Canada (CIESC) at the annual meeting in Victoria BC.