Herramientas para comprender la diversidad en la escuela y la comunidad

this paper examines the social interactions that take place when people from different places, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds get together. we provide tools for describing and interpreting what goes on, at a micro-interactional level. by posing a general question (what kinds of analytical tools can be provided by ethnography and sociolinguistics in order to understand diversity in community and educational settings?), we reflect on the issues of power that permeate the interactions of diverse people, and we frame a critical perspective on multiculturalism. data collected during the years of 1996-1998 in two different settings are analyzed: california, usa (work with the community), and buenos aires, argentina (work at a school setting). we end by identifying key elements that may help to understand the complexities associated with diversity, and may be useful to professionals for whom multicultural issues may be a challenge to their practice.