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ABSTRACT
Objective: To promote multiculturalism among grade school students through drama education.
Participants: Grade 3-6 students (N=665) from 6 targeted schools including lead-class students (n=158) representing each school.
Settings: Elementary schools in Windsor-Essex County, Ontario, Canada.
Intervention: In this non-experimental design study, group discussions conducted with each lead class to explore students' understanding of multiculturalism were developed into an interactive drama performance and performed for all grades 3-6 students in their respective schools. A follow-up drama workshop was offered to each lead class one week after the drama performance. All students completed a 7-item questionnaire before and after the drama performance and after the drama workshop. Pre-test and post-test data collected were analyzed using T-test and ANOVA to determine the effects of drama education on students' attitudes toward multiculturalism.
Outcomes: Statistical analysis at 0.05 significance level revealed that both the performance and the drama workshop heightened students' awareness of racism, and instilled cultural respect through "talking with others", "accepting others", and "believing that they can make a difference" in multiculturalism promotion.
Conclusion: Drama education was an effective experiential tool for promoting multiculturalism in a school setting. The key to promoting inter-racial harmony is to respect and accept individual differences and to broaden the social determinants of health by providing culture safety care.
MeSH terms: Multiculturalism promotion; drama education; experiential learning
Canada's increasingly diverse population has resulted in a greater need to promote multiculturalism as a priority social and equity issue. In 2001, one in five Canadians was foreign-born, and 13.5% of the population consisted of visible minorities representing over 200 ethnic origins.1 Between 2000 and 2001, 70% of new immigrants had difficulties finding employment, and those with employment earned 24% less than their predominantly white counterparts.2,3 Although the 1988 Canadian Multiculturalism Act promotes equity to make Canada a richer nation socially, economically and culturally,4 new immigrants continue to face many challenges surrounding language, ethnicity, and transferability of their foreign qualifications. They are more likely than others to be alienated from mainstream society and to experience poverty, isolation, depression, domestic violence, and substance abuse.5-11 Their children may also be at risk of racial bullying at school.12,13 Disparity in health exists among visible minorities; what determines their health goes beyond income and employment.14 Equity in health...