The multi-ethnic content of the 21st century population is made most manifest in the classroom settings of educational institutions as the composition of an average classroom is changing due to globalization and human mobility that have brought people of diverse culture together. The diversity content of the classrooms somewhat places enormous responsibilities on the school leaders and classroom teachers to evolve teaching practices and learning experiences that are culturally responsive to the needs of each individual student. This chapter contributes by analyzing the pedagogical principles of recognition and respect as imperative in managing the cultural individuality of learners in the classrooms.
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All over the world, much attention is being drawn to the diverse content of classrooms at all levels of education due to the incidence of globalization, migrations and population dynamics. This has greatly impacted human relationships hence the need for more effective educational practices in the classrooms. Guzman, (2014) posits that the increasing number of people moving from one place to another has created new places of living and works around the world. Prodding further, Billot, Goddard, and Craston, (2007) noted that these large-scale human migrations are a global phenomenon of this 21st century which could be optional (people seeking economic advantage) or forced (e.g. people escaping conflict or environmental hazards). Ogba and Igu, (2017) contribute that as a result of these migrations; contemporary societies are becoming more diverse and multi-ethnic most especially in urban settings. Eyeaga and Mauth, (2018) remark that globalization has almost removed national boundaries making labour movements easy and further forced organizations to deal with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Nonetheless, as people's lives intersect, the boundary between them becomes more and more blurred (Pfeifle, 2009). A cursory peep into societies today, shows a global trend of hatred and injustice which are resulting into wars and terrors. Interestingly, these changing demographics are especially noticeable at the school level and are having a foremost impact on the works of educators (Billot et al., 2007;Muthukrishna and Schluter, 2011).Along the same line, Muthukrishna and Schluter, (2011) observed that throughout the world, more and more students from diverse backgrounds are entering twenty-first-century classrooms. The reality remains that the diversity content of classrooms somewhat places enormous responsibilities on the school leaders and classroom teachers to evolve teaching practices and learning experiences that are culturally responsive to the needs of students.This could be why Dimmock and Walker, (2005) suggested that leadership studies are needed that identify the particularity and diversity of cultural contexts in the classrooms and to respond to these diverse challenges through culturally responsive classroom practices.
This chapter contributes to knowledge in this regard by underpinning two important pedagogical principles- Recognition and Respect that have emerged as central contexts in classroom management practices. They are somewhat the most dominant and complicated concepts that define human relationships and are in fact, very crucial to achieving social justice for citizens (Fraser and Honneth, 2003; Thompson, 2006). Before this chapter goes further, it is important to give the conceptual definition of the terms- recognition and respect because they lie at the heart of this contemporary discourse. Recognition denotes a subject matter of normative status that deals with the capability of an individual to undertake responsibilities and exercise authority (Brandom, 2007).In the same connection, respect connotes dignity. Forst, (2013), states that respect deals with toleration of another's dissenting opinion even when there is disagreement.