自一九六０年代，許多對於存在社會中教育機會均等、社會階層化與社會流動種 種不平等事實的研究，帶起多元主義結合當時社會批判理論中某些激進的論點，對於許多社 會科學的理論與政策展開熱烈地討論，而逐漸成為對抗主流文化支配社會優勢的有力論證。 然而，這反對同化主義而積極強調多元的論點，卻因其以種族、性別、語言或文化等等屬性 來界定和歸類，而忽視了族群個體的主體性和獨特性，並不能真正突顯人們的相異性並提供 均等的機會。所以，自後現代主義以相對主義的主張調和箇中之絕對理性標準，試圖建構一 個符合正義的理想理論，多元文化主義就此產生。 多元文化教育依多元文化主義的主張而發展，它試圖藉由教育的過程，來解決存在於多元族 群社會中，主流文化與弱勢文化間在立足點上的許多不平等現象，以及造成少數弱勢族群在 大社會中站居不利處境的基本原因，進而尋求去除這種不利條件對於弱勢族群的壓迫。 但即使今日多元文化主義的呼聲高漲，在全球各處皆備受矚目與重視，成為教育的主要目標 。但在一般的社會現實中，主流文化仍具有絕對的支配優勢。這種迷失的規範似跟隨著歷史 的推進益形穩固，使多元文化教育尋求解除任何有形或無形不平等壓迫的崇高理想面臨鉅大 的挑戰。從歐美國家實施多元文化教育的長久經驗，至今仍有許多不同的定義與爭論，並呈 現不同主張與重點的教育政策的具體經驗看來，多元文化教育理念雖已隨著人類對人權的覺 醒，成為不可逆的趨勢，卻很難找到一致性的答案，作為實施的標準。 所以，本文除了對多元文化教育的理論本身加以簡單介紹，主要在討論有關多元文化教育中 頗受爭議的價值兩難和認同的衝突，探討其中可能的解決之道。其次，描述英國多元文化教 育的特色，以及其所實施的一個方案為例，從其經驗中截取其若干實施經驗上的優點，以作 為推動臺灣多元文化教育之參考。

　　　　　During the 1960s, when many studies were concerned about unepual facts in society, social scientists enthusiastically aspired to be both scientific and politically radical. Pluralism was considered a term of absue. An emphasis on multiple subjectivities resulting from the critique of the singular and unitary identity has led to a preoccupation with weak theories of social constructivism that failed to locate agencies in the larger social totality of advanced capitalist flows. So, used as a goal, a concept, an attitude, a strategy and a value, multiculturalism has become an alibi for an establishment theory and has emerged as the eye of a social storm swirling. Multicaltural education must be linked t social structural adjustment, complete with an emphasis on rebuilding social justice and incrcasing asset development among minority groups. Although many Western countries have faced numerous questions about immigration, various movements of racial and gender awareness and carried out mutlicultural education for dozens of years, the dominant culture still presents itself as a distinctly white social order. At the same time, multiple models and practices of multicultural education have, by now, been multiply defined and critiqued from multiple political orientations. Thus, it will face a variety of challenges to practice multicultural eduction. This essay focuses on the importance og multicultural education, debates some questions about value conflict of identity and equal opportunity and attempts to point out the solution. By introducing the distinctive shape of British multicultural education and the practical experience of Peer early educational Partnership, I hope to find some practical ways to improve Taiwan's multicultural edcation.