Cultural identity as a social construct

Social changes such as economic globalisation and international mobility have led to an increase in the number of people who spend substantial periods of time in more than one cultural context. This has led to a cultural diversity within nations that is reflected in schools and classrooms, where increasing numbers of students are from non-mainstream cultural backgrounds. Although this cultural diversity is now acknowledged in the education policies of many culturally diverse nations, the sub-text of these same policies is still based on an assumption that coming from a non-mainstream cultural background is a disadvantage. This assumption fails to acknowledge the success of many students from non-mainstream cultural backgrounds and the fact that in contemporary society, the ability to move across cultural boundaries is an advantage rather than a disadvantage.