Learning to Cross Divides: Examining Critical Multicultural and Bilingual Schools (Critical Social Thought)

2024 AESA Critics’ Choice Book Award

This volume demonstrates how multilingual schooling can enhance democracy through a connection with the policies and practices of critical education.

With its in-depth analysis of real schools that focus on the dual emphases of multiculturalism and integration, this book offers a comparative look at educational and political controversies over race, citizenship, and societal power relations. The authors describe the ambitious goals and critical multicultural and bilingual education strategies used at these schools, and, in doing so, they highlight how the challenges involved relate to larger theoretical issues that are inherent to a critically multicultural and bilingual education.

This book examines what a truly critical multicultural and bilingual education means and what it requires of those who are intimately connected with these processes. As such, it will be important reading for those studying, teaching, or researching in Sociology of Education, Multicultural Education, Multilingual and Bilingual Education, Educational Policy, and Critical Education Studies.

Matthew Knoester is an associate professor and Chair of the Educational Studies department at Ripon College.

Assaf Meshulam is a senior lecturer and head of the Department of Learning, Policy, and Management in the School of Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.