Cultural democracy for whom?: a view from the Pacific Islands

Thaman, Konaiholeva H. (1994) Cultural democracy for whom?: a view from the Pacific Islands. Directions: Journal of Educational Studies, 16 (1). pp. 3-19. ISSN 1011-5846 (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Cultural democracy is a philosophical precept which recognises that the way a person communicates, relates to others, seeks support and recognition from his/her environment (incentive motivation), thinks and learns (cognition) is a product of the value system of his/her community. Furthermore, an educational environment or policy that does not recognise the individual’s right to remain identified with the culture and language of his/her group is said to be culturally undemocratic (Ramirez and Castaneda, 1974: 23). In the author’s view, cultural democracy, for most Pacific island societies, has to do with the right and the opportunity to study and learn important elements of their own cultures in schools and universities, an opportunity denied them since schools first began in the early part of the last century, because most schools were set up to transmit a foreign culture in a foreign language. She therefore wishes to make a case not only for understanding Pacific cultures, but also for including important aspects of them in the curriculum of formal education, including university, as a first step towards intercultural education and a true cultural democracy for all.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Additional Information:	This article was also Konai Thaman's keynote address at the Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Education
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DU Oceania (South Seas) G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > School of Education
Depositing User:	Generic Account
Date Deposited:	07 Aug 2013 00:34
Last Modified:	07 Aug 2013 00:34
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/6108

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