This essay puts forward a theoretical argument in support of culturally consonant character education. Character education supports the moral and civic development of youth in the United States (US), and it remains popular with all stakeholders. Majority group members often are unmindful of the significance and span of cultural distinctiveness of minorities. Rather, majority group members consciously or unconsciously advocate assimilation and adherence to universal virtues, chiefly in the field of character education. Cultural-historical conditions, as features of the moral development process, tone the agency and negotiation of character education. To that end, this essay employs Charles Mills’ The Racial Contract (1998) to not only account for the moralities of exclusion, but put forward a character education philosophy that accounts for cultural distinctiveness.
This chapter brings into relief a culturally consonant character education approach that seeks to enhance positive outcomes (e.g. academic self-efficacy, school belonging, and civic engagement) and intercultural communication among youth of color. It highlights key epistemological weaknesses in character education research and offers up an overview of a culturally sensitive research framework to gauge culturally consonant character development programs. We argue that cultural and linguistic differences are an integral part of character development, and that educators who incorporate a culturally consonant character approach further enhance the social fabric of their class communities, strengthen communication between diverse students, and enhance civic engagement, trustworthiness, and reciprocal social relations. We also call into question key epistemological weaknesses common in traditional character education research.
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