Abstract

An interdisciplinary theoretical framework drawing from political science, sociology, anthropology, education and social psychology, is the approach used to examine the social context in which educational policies are decided in Colombia. Chapter 1 introduces the approach of Hermeneutical Deconstructive Interpretation, a relatively new tradition of inquiry, taking into account the human agency of the researcher in reading a text. Therefore, this dissertation reflects a certain level of subjectivity, metalanguage, power of representation of official texts and human agency of the author. Chapter 2 examines the historical context of Colombian legislation, in relation to other Latin American countries, with their ethnic and native centered tendencies to interpret cultural diversity, gradually moving away from intercultural paradigms towards multiculturalism, in the public education sector. Chapter 3 is devoted to a close reading of the 1991 Colombian Constitution as well as related texts in order to describe the situation in Colombia related to cultural diversity issues and their manifestation in educational policy making. Chapter 4 examines and critiques the current situation in the public education system in Colombia from several angles, in particular the negative effect of an intercultural approach, which is dysfunctional in the attempts of Colombians to build a unified vision for the country, where all groups are well represented in the State structure on an equal basis, and individual rights are respected. Chapter 5 aims to encourage the opening of a new era of deliberations at the societal level about the potential of a multicultural approach as found in the work of two Canadian authors, Will Kymlicka and Charles Taylor, thus meeting the goal of this thesis to offer a multicultural perspective in enriching the current interpretative framework of cultural diversity as applied to the case of Colombia. Throughout the dissertation, it is noted that the Colombian Constitution of 1991 can be read as opening spaces to encourage Colombian academics, practitioners and policy makers to move towards a multicultural framework for institutional renewal, including education policy, structures and curricula. The absence and paucity of research and publications in this respect is noted with regret