Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Theory Into Action
Theory Into Action
Miles C. Davis
The Marine Corps strives for innovation to remain America’s most ready and lethal
fighting force, focusing on technology, platforms, weaponry, and communications (Chin, 2019).
However, transformative multiculturalism lacks the same attention, emphasis, and commitment
to improvement. Despite surface-level diversity, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) recruitment and
retainment strategies, racial and gender disparities persist, with a predominantly White majority
among officers and enlisted Marines. In 2016, 81% of Marine officers and 79% of enlisted
Marines identified as White (Marine Corps, n.d.). Racial discrimination is evident as shown by
the 2017 Workplace and Equal Opportunity Survey of Active-Duty Members, revealing that
31.2% of Black/African American, 23.3% of Asian American, and 21% of Hispanic service
members reported racial discrimination, harassment, or both in the past 12 months (Coughlin,
2021). The evidence indicates that the Marine Corps is at the ‘club’ stage of Jackson and
Hardiman’s (2006) multicultural and organization development model. Historically, the Marine
Corps has been called the ‘Gun Club’, but it can be called the ‘White Male Club’ too.
Transformative Multiculturalism
The Marine Corps has established the Equal Opportunity (EO) program to combat
oppression and promote DEI, but I intend to expand it at the company level by incorporating a
dedicated multicultural education program. The advantages of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive
Force are improved communication and emotional intelligence, skills that positively affect
community that values and leverages personal cultures to catalyze innovation, resilience, and
mission success. This essay describes the context, goals, and theoretical framework of the action
Foundation
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institutional barriers that prevent Service members from rising to the highest level of
responsibility possible (MyNavy HR, n.d.). At the battalion or squadron level, EO is a function
of command, with the commander responsible for shaping the program. This means the battalion
or squadron commander can shape the EO program as they see fit. Small unit leaders like
company-grade officers and mid-grade staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) are well-placed
to lead transformative multiculturalism due to their regular contact with junior Marines. I
Audience
A company with three or more platoons, led by a Captain, is the target audience.
Companies comprising 100 and 300 Marines are integral units (U.S. DoD, n.d.), encompassing
various ranks from junior to senior enlisted and company-grade officers (Second Lieutenant to
Captain). At the company level, where small units are the backbone, educating this audience
provides a large surface area to make an impact, ensuring the direct and lasting effects of
multicultural education.
Goals
warfighting readiness. Critical inquiry will be encouraged and supported whereby Marines dig
into the foundations, ideologies, and deeper meanings of things otherwise taken for granted and
unquestioned (Jennings & Smith, 2002). Critical inquiry, aligned with Freire’s praxis
(1970/1995): reflecting and acting on the world to transform will help recreate the social world
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(Jennings & Smith, 2002). Along with learning about culture, Marine will learn about the forms
of oppression and discover ways to mitigate it in their context. Institutional and societal level
changes begin with an individual transformation. Institutional racism exists when there are
standard operating procedures (intended or unintended) that hurt members of one or more
subordinate races (Scheurich & Young, 1997). The lack of racial diversity in senior leadership
positions enlisted or officer indicates unintentional racism (or intentional). Scheurich and
Young’s (1997) statement can also be extended to sexism, as few females are in senior leadership
positions. In 2016, 8.7% of company-grade officers were females, 4.6% of field-grade officers
were females, and 1.1% of general officers were females (Marine Corps, n.d.).
Multicultural education in the Marine Corps affects society as well. The Department of
Defense is America’s largest employer (U. S. DoD, 2020), and 75% of Marines are discharged
after their first tour (Athey, 2021). Therefore, multicultural education in the Marine Corps will
produce positive ripple effects in civilian society by developing exceptional Marines and
Theoretical Framework
theoretical framework. I will draw from Banks, Sleeter, Grant, Nieto, and Bode's work and the
multicultural organization and development model to foster critically conscious and culturally
competent Marines. The curriculum will follow Nieto and Bode’s (2008) characteristics of
foundation for building and prioritizing multiculturalism. Other essential characteristics are that
multicultural education is a process, multicultural education is education for social justice, and
multicultural education is critical pedagogy that will shape the content. Multicultural education
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competence and proficiency never ends. Multicultural education as a critical pedagogy will
ensure challenging content that encourages Marines to reflect and inquire critically. Multicultural
education as education for social justice demonstrates a commitment to bridge theory and action
and use education and knowledge to advocate for the oppressed and catalyze transformation. The
program will encompass Bank’s (2010) approaches, beginning with the contributions approach
and progressing to transformative and social action, by enabling Marines to extend their
comprehension of U.S. society's nature, development, and complexity and to make a genuine
impact. Furthermore, applying Sleeter and Grant's (2007) human relations approach teaches
accurate multicultural content, and promote positive relations through cooperative learning.
Action Plan
First, I will conduct a needs analysis to confirm that instruction is necessary. To do so, I
will rely on the command climate assessment that commands complete within 90 days of
assumption of command and annually after that. The evaluation encompasses various subjects,
including DEI. I will analyze the feedback and data associated with the DEI section to determine
of their own and others’ cultures. The curriculum will be formed from multiple lenses. For
instance, discussion prompts will be created from a dominant group’s perspective (White, able,
middle-class, male) and a subordinate group’s perspective (i.e., African-American woman). The
plan catalyzes systemic and structural change by prioritizing multiculturalism at the individual
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multiculturalism and allocating an internal change team and material and financial resources will
Critical multicultural methods are integral to the program, emphasizing inquiry and
reflection, as Jennings and Smith (2002) advocate. Marines will discuss their cultures, share
insights, be exposed to new epistemologies, and practice empathy and perspective-taking with
Timeline
government’s fiscal year. There will be four modules, one in each quarter. Modules will build on
each other, culminating in social action. It will be at the company commander’s and
EO/multicultural officer’s discretion regarding how they want their company to participate. For
instance, the company commander and facilitator may decide how many times the company will
Module 1
Module 1 will be from October 1 to December 31. At the end of this module, Marines
will grasp their own and other’s cultures and describe how their identities influence their life and
culture. Marines will engage in activities and content that help them understand their culture,
identities, and intracultural awareness. The primary activity will be an identity wheel that
Marines will complete and then share with others in groups of four. Breaking into small groups
allows for collaborative learning to occur and allows Marines to get to know each other on a
deeper level, engage in dialogue, and be exposed to elements of various cultures. Additionally,
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Marines will read Chapter 1: Ethnography and Culture in Participant Observation (Spradley,
Module 2
Module 2 will occur between January 1 to March 31. At the end of this module, Marines
will be able to identify covert and overt forms of oppression at the individual, institutional,
societal, and institutional levels. This module encompasses an additive approach (Banks, 2003),
as Marines will be exposed to various forms of oppression via lectures, readings, and case
studies. For instance, Kendi’s (2019) How to Be an Anti-Racist will be read and discussed.
Educating White Marines (the majority) changes attitudes beyond the classroom (Tatum, 2001).
Heightened awareness of White Marines will produce ripple effects, creating a climate in which
Marines of color and other subordinate groups might feel more comfortable (Tatum, 2001).
Module 3
Module 3 will occur between April 1 and June 30. At the end of this module, Marines
will be able to appraise or analyze their personal and professional contexts for oppression and
recommend courses of action to mitigate and eliminate oppression and discrimination. This
module allows Marines to begin the transformation and social action process.
Module 4
Module 4 will occur between July 1 and September 30. This will be the culminating
learning event as companies will facilitate social action to enhance DEI in their battalion and
squadron. This stage emulates Bank’s (2003) social action approach by requiring Marines to act
related to any concept, issue, or problem studied in the program. Each of Bank’s (2010)
approaches can be a vehicle for another; for instance, the contributions approach can lead to the
additive approach, and so on. The transformation and social action approaches are challenging
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and likely impossible until the previous approaches have been practiced. Moving from module to
module should be gradual. A company should not progress to the next module if it is not ready.
Together, the modules aid in developing critically conscious and culturally competent
Marines within the multicultural education program. In module 1, Marines learn about
themselves and engage in intracultural awareness, marking the first step to cultural competence.
module 3, Marines become conscious and critical observers by analyzing their contexts for
transformation and social action, advocating for DEI in their community. The nature of the
program allows instruction to progress in complexity gradually. It provides an opportunity for the
EO representative and their team to provide support, depending on the competence of the
audience.
potential barriers or obstacles and sustainability. I anticipate some potential barriers, notably
resistance to change among Marines (or something new) and the revolving nature of company
command. Creating transformative multiculturalism is one thing, but sustaining it is another. The
fact that Marines are temporarily assigned to billets establishes a need for supporting
multiculturalism in a company. Next, I will describe potential obstacles and suggest how to
overcome them and a sustainable plan for multiculturalism at the company level. Lastly, the
program must be evaluated to revise it. I will share my evaluation plan below, including
Obstacles
Like most employees or individuals, Marines may initially resist change. Change
processes are challenging, and most organizations need help executing change strategies (Burnes,
2009). One of the most critical failures to change is employees’ attitudes toward change (Ahmad
and Cheng, 2018). The literature on change tells us that the more the employees are ready for
change, the less chance they show negative responses, and less will be change-resistant. The data
from the command climate survey will indicate if Marines are ready to change, which I
anticipate. This will ease the transition, but a need to facilitate a positive attitude towards
and employees is essential in dealing with resistance to change (Ford et al., 2008). Therefore,
readiness to change.
The second challenge involves managing the temporary assignments for a company
commander and officer billets. A company commander will typically hold command between 12-
18 months. Naturally, a high turnover rate exists, so it is imperative that outgoing company
transformative multiculturalism.
Sustainment Plan
participant, facilitator, and leadership feedback. Synthesized feedback from the participating
guiding annual evaluation for revision, introducing new content, or reinforcing existing material.
Furthermore, TECOM will conduct an annual ‘train the trainer’ workshop, which will be
mandatory for all appointed EO/multicultural education officers involved in facilitating. This
will ensure that the facilitators are proficient and knowledgeable of their teaching content.
Evaluation
Two types of evaluation will be conducted: formative and summative. The formative
assessment will be an instructional rating form (IRF) (See Appendix A) that Marines will
complete and submit to the facilitator near the conclusion of each module. The facilitator will
identify trends among the IRFs and share any insights or patterns with the company commander
(unless they are the same person) so instruction can be revised immediately according to the
and the DEI section of the command climate assessment. The EO officer, company commander,
and battalion/squadron commander will review the end-of-course survey to grasp feedback and
adjust accordingly. The program’s overall impact will be measured through these evaluations and
Conclusion
The Marine Corps’ greatest asset is the Marine. Marines fight battles and win wars, so the
Marine Corps must invest in Marines more than it does in material equipment. A well-rounded
Marine encompasses cultural competence and proficiency. Seamlessly cooperating with other
Marines, U.S. service members, foreign allies, and host nation citizens is paramount to success.
Critically conscious and culturally competent Marines are as crucial as technically and tactically
proficient Marines for the Force’s longevity, health, success, and readiness.
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References
Ahmad, A. B., & Cheng, Z. (2018). The role of change content, context, process, and leadership
https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026017753645
Athey, P. (2021, November 15). Here are some of the ways the Marines are trying to improve
corps/2021/11/15/treat-people-like-human-beings-here-are-some-of-the-ways-the-
marines-are-trying-to-improve-retention/
education: Issues and perspectives (pp. 242-264). Jon Wiley & Sons.
Bode, P., & Nieto, S. (2008). Multicultural education and school reform. In P. Bode & S. Nieto
Burnes, B. (2009). Reflections: Ethics and organizational change - time for a return to lewinian
https://doi.org/10.1080/14697010903360558
Chin, W. (2019). Technology, war and the state: past, present and future. International Affairs
Coughlin, S. S. (2021). Racism and discrimination in the military and the health of US service
https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab037
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Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., & D’Amelio, A. (2008). Resistance to change: The rest of the story. The
https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2008.31193235
Freire, P. (1995). The pedagogy of the oppressed. Seabury Press. (Original work published 1970).
Cross, J. H. Katz, F. A. Miller, & E. W. Seashore (Eds.), The promise of diversity: Over
Jennings, L. B., & Smith, C. P. (2002). Examining the role of critical Inquiry for transformative
practices: Two joint case studies of multicultural teacher education. Teachers College
https://diversity.defense.gov/Portals/51/Documents/Presidential%20Memorandum/
20161018%20Abbreviated%20US%20Marine%20Corps%20by%20Gender,%20Race,
%20and%20Ethnicity%20v1.0.pdf?ver=2017-01-04-135057-373
Scheurich, J. J., & Young, M. D. (1997). Coloring epistemologies: Are our research
https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X026004004
Sleeter, C. E., & Grant, C. A. (2007). Making choices for multicultural education: Five
Tatum, B. (2001). Talking about race, learning about racism: the application of racial identity
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446220986
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/afr/fy2020/1-
Foreword_About_the_DoD_Agency_Financial_Report_and_Table_of_Contents.pdf
https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Military-Units/marine-corps/#units
MyNavy HR. (n.d.). Navy harassment prevention and military equal opportunity.
https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/Culture-Resilience/Equal-Opportunity/
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Appendices
Appendix A
One way instruction is improved is by sampling student reaction to the instruction. To assist in improving this lesson, please
answer the following questions. This will assist the school in improving our courses.
Instructor: Date:
Module
Course:
:
INSTRUCTIONS: Circle the answer that indicates your level of agreement or disagreement as follows: Strongly Disagree = 1, Disagree=2,
Agree=3, and Strongly Agree=4. Please explain in the section labeled comments any ratings of 1 or 2. If the question is not applicable,
then circle NA.
Strongly Strongly
1. INSTRUCTOR Disagree Agree NA
Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 NA
a. The instructor showed a thorough knowledge of the lesson material.
1 2 3 4 NA
a. The content was presented at the right pace.
1 2 3 4 NA
b. The student outline aided my understanding of the content covered.
1 2 3 4 NA
c. The environment of the class was interactive.
3. SAFETY
1 2 3 4 NA
a. Lesson related safety to job performance.
1 2 3 4 NA
b. Cease Training procedures were adequately explained.
1 2 3 4 NA
c. Safety precautions were reemphasized prior to commencing tasks.
1 2 3 4 NA
d. Safety was always reinforced.
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1 2 3 4 NA
e. Equipment/material was safe for use.
4. METHODS/MEDIA:
1 2 3 4 NA
c. The media complimented instruction.
5. STUDENT: Circle the answer that best describes your knowledge level.
Above
a. My knowledge of the content prior to this class was Averag
None Very Little Expert
e
Average
Above
b. My knowledge of the content after completing the class was Averag
None Very Little Expert
e
Average
Overall Comments/Suggestions for the Class (use back of form if more space is needed):
Appendix B
Thank you for participating in the multicultural education program, a part of the
multicultural education program. Your feedback is invaluable in improving the instruction. The
survey is organized into sections that include questions/statements regarding the instructors,
goals and objectives, content, assessments, satisfaction, and an open-ended section. The survey is
a Likert-scale survey; select the best answer for each statement/question. Your responses will be
confidential.
Course Title:
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Module:
Instructor:
Company:
Instructor
1. The instructors were knowledgeable of the subject matter.
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Content Organization
1. Instruction was delivered at the right level (e.g. too simple, too complex).
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Content/Activities
Disagree
2. The learning activities were engaging, effective, and relevant to the objectives
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
3. The readings, lectures, case studies, group discussions enhanced my cultural
competence and proficiency.
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
4. Any assignments, projects, or assessments were relevant, applicable and helpful to
facilitate my transformation.
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Environment
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
3. The physical characteristics of the classroom were conducive to learning (e.g. lighting,
temperature, etc.)
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
1. I grasp my own and other’s cultures and can describe how their identities influence
mine and others’ lives and culture.
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
2. I can identify covert and overt forms of oppression at the individual, institutional,
societal, and institutional levels.
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
3. I can appraise or analyze their personal and professional contexts for oppression and
recommend courses of action to mitigate and eliminate oppression and discrimination.
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Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Overall Experience
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree
1. Which learning activity did you find most beneficial for developing your
multiculturalism?
2. Were there any topics or aspects of the content that you found challenging or not
adequately covered?