Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Sta. Mesa Manila
College of Education
Department of Business Teacher Education
A Self-Learning Outcome-Based Education (OBE)
Instructional Materials in EDUC 30173
Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum
with Emphasis on the 21st Century Skills
Lesson 2
GLOBALIZATION AND MULTICULTURAL LITERACY
Contributors:
DR. CARMENCITA CASTOLO
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
1
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
MS. RUTH PERIDA
LESSON 2:
GLOBALIZATION AND MULTICULTURAL LITERACY
Learning Outcomes
After completion of this lesson, you will be able to competently do these:
Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:
1. explain globalization and its implication on both the national and individual level,
2. characterize cultural and multicultural literacy in the Philippines, and
3. assess one’s personal level of cultural and multicultural literacy.
Course Materials
The term globalization is very complex to define because different scholars and
institutions view it differently. Nonetheless, the basic concept of Globalization is the expansion
and integration of the cultural, political, economic, and technological domains of countries. This
reflects that the world is borderless, and the countries are interconnected and interdependent. For
example, the United States of America (General Electric, Chevron, Starbucks, and McDonalds),
Japan (Toyota and Honda), and the Philippines (Jollibee and Bench) have local companies that
have expanded overseas and have become transnational or multinational (Barrot&Sipacio, 2018).
Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between people, business
entities, governments, and cultures from other nations, driven by international trade and
investment and supported by information technology (Levin Institute, 2017 as cited
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
2
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
byAlata&Ignacio, 2019). Globalization as a phenomenon is not new. Nations and cultures have
been interacting and integrating with one another for millennia. What is different now is the
speed at which globalization is happening, its overall scope, and its effects on the lives of
ordinary people. Globalization and its effects are inescapable. Even remote villages will be
exposed to the KPOP hit, if they have access to a radio. If they produce rice, they will also feel
the effects of more affordable rice imports from Thailand and Vietnam. If they have access to a
kerosene stove, they will feel the effects of the fluctuations in oil prices originating from Arab
nations. All these things take place without having to know anyone from or anything about
Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, or the Middle East.
The effects of globalization are multi-dimensional, ranging from economic to cultural, on
both national and individual levels. Meyer (2000, in Alata&Ignacio, 2019) summarized the
effects of globalization:
economic, political, and military dependence and interdependence between
nations;
expanded flow of expressive and instrumental culture; and
expanded flow of people among societies.
Cultural Literacy
Cultural Literacy is a term coined by Hirsch (1983, cited in Alata&Ignacio, 2019),
referring to the ability to understand the signs and symbols of a given culture and being able to
participate in its activities and customs as opposed to simply being a passive (and outside)
observer. The signs and symbols of a culture include both its formal and informal languages, its
idioms, and forms of expressions, entertainment, values, customs, roles, traditions, and the like –
most of which are assumed and unstated. Thus, they are learned by being part of the culture,
rather than by any formal means.
To illustrate this, consider the following statement: “The classroom was in absolute
bedlam.” Without any sort of background, the reader is forced to guess the meaning of the word
“bedlam” from its context within the sentence. As it turns out, “bedlam” refers to a scene of
uproar, confusion, and chaos. The term is British in origin, referring to a psychiatric hospital in
London by the name of St. Mary Bethlehem that was once representative of the worst excesses
of insane asylums during the 14th century and “bedlam” is the corruption of the word
“Bethlehem” in the name. While it is one thing to know that meaning of the word, note that it is
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
3
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
knowledge of its cultural origins that better enables a person to both appreciate and participate in
conversations and activities.
Of course, by its very definition, cultural literacy is culture-specific, but it is not limited
to national cultures, contrary to what many people assume. The culture of one workplace can be
very different from another, just as the culture of a particular school can differ widely from
another school nearby.
There are far too many cultures for any one person to be literate in all of them. As more
and more Filipinos travel – both domestically and abroad – as the result of globalization and the
increased opportunities it brings, the need to develop new cultural literacies comes to the fore.
Multicultural Literacy
As cultures begin to mix and change as a result of globalization, conflicts inevitably arise
over identity, values, and worldviews. This situation consequently needs for a literacy that
enables us to quickly and easily identify and resolve such conflicts, preferably before they even
begin. This has come to be understood as multicultural literacy.
In America, multicultural literacy has very strong leanings toward knowing or identifying
the poly-ethnic origins of knowledge with the expressed goal of fostering equality, diversity, and
social justice. This is in direct response to the “Euro-centric and “white-dominant” traditions of
education that in the eyes of American cultural minorities (particularly the blacks) is a form of
racial injustice. This is very foreign to the Philippine context, which despite having our own
deeply ingrained traditions of discrimination, does not have the same issues of discrimination as
in the United States, nor the same amount of hostility.
The skills and knowledge required for one to be multi-culturally literate are not mere
language skills. Rather, true multicultural literacy consists of perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs
about other cultures that affect the manner in which we communicate and the motives behind our
communication. Examples of such literacy are: 1) being selfless; 2) knowing that good and
useful things can (and do) come from those different from us; 3) being willing to compromise;
and 4) accepting that there are limits hence the need to set realistic expectations of one another.
Multicultural literacy ensures that any communication with a culture different from our own is
clear, productive, and respectful such that their differences are celebrated and neither culture is
demeaned or treated as inferior.
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
4
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
Boutte (2008, as cited by Alata&Ignacio, 2019) suggests that issues of discrimination in
all its forms (racial, religious, tribal, cultural, etc.) are really issues of hatred, which she defines
in an educational setting as “the lack of compassion and lack of respect for the rights of others,”
and that such hatred must be fought and its roots must be attacked, because for as long as hatred
exists in the human mind, real peace will be impossible (Vreeland, 2001, in Alata&Ignacio,
2019).
If this is true, then it leads to some interesting questions: For one, what is the root of
hatred? Boutte (2008, cited in Alata&Ignacio, 2019) suggests that, at least in an educational
context, such hate is often unintentional, but is usually the result of a lack of education. Now if a
lack of education is to blame, then lack of education in what, exactly? Is it awareness of the
existence of those different from us? Is it awareness that those different from us are worthy of
respect? The latter presumes that something exists in all individuals – regardless of color,
language, religion, education, social status, etc. – that is worthy of respect. If this is true, what is
this something? How do you teach it?
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
5
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
The Question of Value
Hence, these questions are important to consider: Why should I treat people of another
culture with respect? Why should I value another culture, another society, another person more
than myself and my own? If we subscribe to Dawkins’ (2016, in Alata&Ignacio, 2019) concept
of a “selfish gene” – where on a genetic level, the more two individuals are genetically similar to
one another, the more sense it makes to behave selflessly toward one another, and selfishly
toward others who are different – then we can easily frame the issue of discrimination of cultural
injustice as one of both genetics and survival. This means that the injustice you experience is
necessary for my survival, and therefore it is in my best interests (genetic and otherwise) that I
maintain the status quo – or reverse it, as the case may be. Educators like Freire (2000, in
Alata&Ignacio, 2019) have recognized and written against such a monstrous perspective – and
rightly so – but have also admitted that when the oppressed are freed from their oppression, they
inevitably become the new oppressors.
If such perspectives seem horrible, it is because the question of the value of humanity,
both individually and collectively as a culture, makes no sense without subscribing to some
absolute moral standard – one that is true and right for all people, regardless of race, color, or
creed. But in today’s society where such absolutes are reduced to matters of perspective, there
remains no final and sensible answer to the question.
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
6
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
Readings:
Bellanca, J. & Brandt, R. (Eds.). (2010). 21st century skills: Rethinking how students learn.
Solution Tree Press. Retrieved from
https://www.pdfdrive.com/21st-century-skills-rethinking-how-students-learn-
e38615350.html
Llagas, A., Corpuz, B., & Bilbao, P. (2016).Becoming a 21st century educational leader. Quezon
City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Activities / Assessment Tasks
Activity 1
Complete the following statements.
When I see foreigners with thick, black skin, my first impression of them is
____________________________________________________________________________
When I hear a man speak with a heavy provincial accent, I perceive him as
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
7
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
____________________________________________________________________________
Filipinos living in Mindanao who practice a religion different from mine are
____________________________________________________________________________
Activity 2
What are the common discriminatory practices done by Filipinos in their country? What about
you? Use the matrix below.
Discriminatory practices of Filipinos:
1.
2.
3.
What are my own discriminatory practices?
1.
2.
3.
Why is there a need to become multi-culturally literate? Why should I value and respect people
whose culture is different from mine?
1.
2.
3.
Assignment
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
8
Lesson 2: Globalization and Multicultural Literacy
Essay-writing:
Answer must be brief but substantive.
1. Explain how globalization can facilitate the multicultural literacy in the Philippines.
References
Books and Online Sources:
Alata, E. &Ignacio, E. (2019).Building and enhancing new literacies across the curriculum.
Quezon City: Rex Book Store, Inc.
Barrot, J.S. &Sipacio, P.J.F. (2018).Purposive communication in the 21st century. Quezon City:
C&E Publishing Inc.
Bellanca, J. & Brandt, R. (Eds.). (2010). 21st century skills: Rethinking how students learn.
Solution Tree Press. Retrieved from
https://www.pdfdrive.com/21st-century-skills-rethinking-how-students-learn-
e38615350.html
Bilbao, P., Dayagnil, F., &Corpuz, B. (2015).Curriculum development for teachers. Quezon
City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Llagas, A., Corpuz, B., & Bilbao, P. (2016).Becoming a 21st century educational leader. Quezon
City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
EDUC 30173: Building and Enhancing Literacy Across the Curriculum with Emphasis on the 21 st Century Skills Page
9
