Basic Concepts and Background of Multicultural Education

Abstract

The widespread diversity in Indonesia creates challenges in maintaining social harmony and strengthening unity, thus requiring educational efforts to instill values of tolerance and appreciation of differences. Therefore, education plays a crucial role as a medium in shaping an inclusive and harmonious society within this diversity. This study aims to explore in greater depth the principles and implementation of multicultural education within the context of modern education. This article employs a qualitative research method with a literature review approach and content analysis to gather and interpret relevant references on multicultural education. The study finds two main results: first, that multicultural education is understood as a deliberately planned and implemented process to provide equitable educational services to all students, aiming to develop understanding, appreciation, and evaluation that respects individual differences without discrimination. Second, the emergence of multicultural education is inevitably influenced by the impact of World War II, which affected social change in Western countries, along with the increasing diversity of ethnicity and culture in society. It is also influenced by political, social, economic, and intellectual factors that develop over time. These findings indicate that multicultural education is not only about understanding diversity but also about creating inclusive and fair spaces within the global education system. The contribution of this research is to strengthen the role of multicultural education in Indonesia, both as a pedagogical approach and as a foundation for formulating inclusive and equitable education policies.