Ethnic and Cultural Dimensions of Knowledge and Education: An Introduction

Abstract

The introductory chapter provides theoretical backgrounds and the current state of research on ethnic and cultural dimensions of knowledge and education. The authors describe the dichotomy between so-called universal knowledge and local, place-based, situated, and indigenous knowledge. They then outline the interrelations between knowledge and culture. Given the close connection between culture, education, social status, and power, it is astounding that some representatives of new cultural geography more or less omitted terms such as knowledge, education, school, teacher, and educational system. The first five chapters of the book deal with the role of the educational system in multiethnic states, with the impact of ethnic identity on schooling, with the racialization of schooling, and with the reasons and consequences of ethnic disparities of educational achievement. The subsequent four chapters study the relevance of indigenous, native, traditional, and local knowledge compared to universal, scientific, or so-called objective knowledge. The final four chapters present case studies on the social and cultural function of indigenous knowledge in nonwestern societies and on the influence that culture may have on action.