ABSTRACT
Multiculturalism, post-colonialism and anti-racism remain relevant issues in geography education. The term ‘inclusion’ has also become a relevant issue, featuring strongly in many government documents and initiatives. Each government strategy and curriculum now makes explicit reference to how it can contribute to the inclusive agenda. The discipline of geography has a history of dealing with issues around inclusion and multiculturalism, and there is much that can be learnt from developments in academic geography in understanding inclusion that has practical implications for the geography classroom. This chapter does not seek to describe an inclusive classroom, as these debates are well-rehearsed elsewhere. Instead the chapter seeks to explore how geographical thinking can go beyond tokenistic inclusive or multicultural education. Practical strategies to free our thinking from the limits imposed by dualistic structures such as First and Third World or rich North and the poor South can be developed in education arenas. It is possible to disrupt these dichotomies by locating and contextualising knowledge and world views in their particular contexts. Furthermore, alternative narratives and educational themes can be used to tackle racism and colonialism. This chapter suggests that the concept of ‘situated knowledge’ can open new opportunities to challenge the stereotyping of developing countries and help us to move beyond a tokenistic approach to inclusion by acknowledging the validity of different perspectives and local knowledges. The aims of this chapter are:
• to go beyond a ‘boutique’ multiculturalism through a critical, reflective and empathetic geography education that is sensitive to context.
