Using human universals to teach multicultural perspectives

Abstract

Teaching college students about multicultural perspectives is now ubiquitous in college learning environments, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Methods employed, however, for bringing about the goals of social justice and commercial opportunity are somewhat superficial for internalizing and influencing long-term behaviors. The effects are more accessible when starting from the point of universal human fears and needs and then examining the behaviors and rationales for behaviors dissimilar peoples use to allay those fears and meet their needs. Learning outcomes that demonstrate an understanding of how universal fears and needs influence behaviors of human beings may be more likely to promote justice and opportunity in people's daily work and lives and likely to be more enduring.