Globalization is blurring the lines between once clearly defined groups of people, making cultural sensitivity more important than ever. Culturally sensitive art education can cultivate the ability for students to empathize with and care about others, but until now, few guidelines have existed to help art educators bring together those from dissimilar cultural backgrounds. Editors Manifold, Willis, and Zimmerman have created Culturally Sensitive Art Education in a Global World: A Handbook for Teachers as a source of useful models for teaching art to students from diverse populations in a culturally sensitive way.
Section One (Commonalities and Contrasts) introduces concepts that inspire research and ground pedagogies that are sensitive to cultural differences and similarities. Section Two (Knowing and Honoring Self in Local and Global Communities) presents strategies aimed at understanding and appreciating Self as a prerequisite for developing empathy for the Other. Section Three (Dialogic Interactions-Looking, Questioning, Listening, and Engaging) describes strategies for coming to know the world as others know it without having been physically immersed in the everyday cultural experiences of others.