Western democratic societies share an egalitarian ideology which maintains that a major goal of the state is to protect human rights and promote equality and the structural inclusion of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups into the fabric of society. Educational initiatives taken to implement reforms that reflect ethnic diversity and promote equality have created lively and sometimes embittered controversy because little agreement exists within each nation about what should be the proper role of public schools in the ethnic education of both majority and minority students. This book is divided into three major parts. Part I formulates a descriptive typology of the phases of ethnic revitalization movements, the paradigmatic responses that educators have made to these movements, and the limitations which characterize educational reforms that are based on single-factor paradigms. Part II describes examples of these paradigms and concepts by discussing multicultural education in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Western Europe. is the difficulty that nation-states have trying to formulate educational policies that simultaneously respect the cultural integrity of students from diverse groups, help students attain the knowledge and skills needed to live productive lives, and help students develop a commitment to the overarching ideals and ethos of the nation-state. The final part of the book is devoted to a consideration of the rationale and components of an effective multicultural teacher-education program, and a summary of the major issues raised in the book, together with an outline agenda for policy and action. (BZ)