Toward a Transformative Multicultural Pedagogy: The Role of Cultural Empathy in University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56393/didactica.v5i2.4175Keywords:
Affective Pedagogy, Campus Inclusion, Dialogical Learning, Intercultural Engagement, Social RecognitionAbstract
In the context of increasing global diversity, universities are challenged to implement educational paradigms that not only acknowledge cultural plurality but also foster meaningful intercultural understanding. This research offers a novel contribution to the field by articulating cultural empathy not merely as an affective disposition but as a transformative pedagogical praxis with structural implications. While existing literature often treats multiculturalism as a policy framework, this study investigates its operationalization through the lens of empathy-based engagement within a university setting. Utilizing a qualitative approach at Universitas PGRI Kanjuruhan Malang, data were analyzed through the Miles and Huberman interactive model. Findings reveal that multicultural education is integrated through a shared ethos of human dignity, formal curriculum embedding, and institutionalized policy commitments. Furthermore, five dimensions of empathy-based pedagogy emerge: content integration, collaborative knowledge construction, experiential prejudice reduction, equitable educational relationships, and cultural empowerment through embodied expressions like culinary arts and dance. By shifting the paradigm from surface-level diversity management to deep intercultural competency, these results provide a replicable framework for global higher education institutions. Ultimately, the study advocates for reorienting multicultural pedagogy toward transformative frameworks that institutionalize empathy as a critical competency for social justice.
Downloads
References
Addy, T. M., Dube, D., Mitchell, K. A., & SoRelle, M. (2023). What inclusive instructors do: Principles and practices for excellence in college teaching. Taylor & Francis.
Alanay, H., & Aydin, H. (2016). Multicultural education: The challenges and attitudes of undergraduate students in Turkey. Education and Science, 41(184), 169-191. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2016.6146
Ames, C., Berman, R., & Casteel, A. (2018). A preliminary examination of doctoral student retention factors in private online workspaces. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13(1), 79-107. https://doi.org/10.28945/3958
Banks, J. A. and Banks, C. A. M. (1989). Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (2021). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (10th ed.). Wiley.
Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (Eds.). (2019). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.
Doucette, B., Sanabria, A., Sheplak, A., & Aydin, H. (2021). The perceptions of culturally diverse graduate students on multicultural education: Implication for inclusion and Diversity Awareness in higher education. European journal of educational research, 10(3), 1259-1273. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.10.3.1259
Eliyahu-Levi, D. (2020). Cross-cultural online encounters with peers from different countries. Distance Education, 41(3), 402-423.
Gkonou, C., & Mercer, S. (2022). Language teacher empathy as caring and dialogic pedagogy: A conceptual exploration. Language Teaching Research, 26(3), 480–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820945325
Gultom, A. F. (2024). The Cultural Problems about the Adaptation of Manggarai Students in Malang City. Humanus, 23(2), 209-225. https://doi.org/10.24036/humanus.v23i2.125105
Gultom, A. F. (2024). Objektivisme Nilai dalam Fenomenologi Max Scheler. De Cive : Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Pancasila Dan Kewarganegaraan, 4(4), 141–150. https://doi.org/10.56393/decive.v4i4.2107
Kraff, H., & Jernsand, E. M. (2022). Multicultural food events–opportunities for intercultural exchange and risks of stereotypification. Tourism Recreation Research, 1-12.
Lantz, M. M., Pieterse, A. L., & Taylor, T. O. (2020). A social dominance theory perspective on multicultural competence. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 33(2), 142-162.
Miles, M. B. and Huberman, M. (1984). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Method. London: Sage Publication.
Moleong, J. L. (2009). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif. Bandung: Remaja Rosdakarya.
Ozturgut, O. (2011) ‘Understanding Multicultural Education’, Current Issues in Education, 14(2), pp. 1–12.
Punti, G., & Dingel, M. (2021). Rethinking race, ethnicity, and the assessment of intercultural competence in higher education. Education Sciences, 11(3), 110.
Ramadhani, S. P., Marini, A. and Maksum, A. (2021). ‘Implementasi Pendidikan Multikultural dilihat dari Perspektif Guru, Kepala Sekolah dan Kegiatan Siswa di Sekolah Dasar’, Basicedu, 5(1), pp. 140–150.
Rockwell, A. et al. (2019) ‘Do Sociology Courses Make More Empathetic Students? A Mixed-Methods Study of Empathy Change in Undergraduates’, Teaching Sociology, 47(4), pp. 284–302.
Rubin, I. D. (2018). The Muddy Waters of Multicultural Acceptance: A Qualitative Case Study on Antisemitism and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 5(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/96
Samuels, A. J., Samuels, G. L., & Cook, T. M. (2017). Examining perceptions of culturally responsive pedagogy in teacher preparation and teacher leadership candidates. SRATE Journal, 26(2), 50-60.
Setyowati, R., & Adi, S. S. (2023). Institutional culture and diversity management in Indonesian universities: Between policy and practice. Journal of Multicultural Education, 17(1), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-10-2022-0113
Shields, C. (2010). Transformative leadership: Working for equity in diverse contexts. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(4), 558-589. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X10375609
Sommer, C. A., Rush, L. C., & Ingene, D. H. (2011). Food and culture: A pedagogical approach to contextualizing food‐based activities in multicultural counseling courses. Counselor Education and Supervision, 50(4), 259-273.
Surahman, S., Pratiwi, R., Imron, A., Cakranegara, P. A., & Putra, P. (2022). Multicultural Education In The Forming Of Social Character In The Digitalization Era. Scaffolding: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam dan Multikulturalisme, 4(3), 162-174.
Sutarno (2007). Pendidikan Multikultural. Kalimantan Selatan: Dinas Pendidikan dan FKIP Unlam.
Tobroni (2007). Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan: Demokrasi, HAM, Civil Society dan Multikulturalisme. Yogyakarta: Nuansa Aksara
Watt, S. K. (Ed.). (2023). Designing transformative multicultural initiatives: Theoretical foundations, practical applications, and facilitator considerations. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003444138
Wihardit, K. (2010). Pendidikan multikultural: suatu konsep, pendekatan dan solusi. Jurnal Pendidikan, 11(2), 96-105.
Williams-Gualandi, D. (2020). The cultural group in intercultural understanding: implications for teaching from a social identity theory perspective. Journal of Research in International Education, 19(3), 233-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240920978712
Wirawan, I. B. (2012). Teori-Teori Sosial dalam Tiga Paradigma: Fakta Sosial, Definisi Sosial & Perilaku Sosial. Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group.
Yaqin, A. (2005). Pendidikan Multikultural: Cross-Cultural Understanding Untuk Demokrasi dan Keadilan. Yogyakarta: Pilar Media
Yılmaz, F. (2016) ‘Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education: A Case Study of Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions’, Cogent Education, 3(1), pp. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1172394.
Yun, P. H. and Zhang, P. C. J. (2017) ‘The Significance of the Multicultural Education Based on the Experiential Learning of a Local Community’, European Journal of Social Sciences, 10(2), pp. 248–252. https://doi.org/10.26417/ejser.v10i2.p248-252
Zamroni (2001). Pendidikan untuk Demokrasi: Tantangan Menuju Civil Society. Edited by B. Publishing. Yogyakarta.
Zamroni et al. (2021) ‘Cross-Cultural Competence in Multicultural Education in Indonesian and New Zealand High Schools’, International Journal of Instruction, 14(3), pp. 597–612. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.14335a
Zembylas, M. (2020). Against the psychologization of empathy: Navigating pedagogical practices through critical and political perspectives. Educational Theory, 70(3), 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.12422
Zhang, Y. S. D., & Noels, K. A. (2023). Cultural empathy in intercultural interactions: the development and validation of the intercultural empathy index. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2173759
