Cultural Diversity: a guide through the debate (original) (raw)

Intercultural education policies across Europe as responses to cultural diversity (2006-2016)

2017

Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Sociali e della Comunicazione UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI SALERNO ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to trace the dynamics of the development of the intercultural education within the education policies across Europe. The brief summary of the IE development during previous four decades is presented. The principal part of the paper is dedicated to the content analysis of the EU education policies documents in regards of IE during the last decade 2006-2016. So far there is no agreed definition on this type of education, so I tried to clarify (through research articles and policy documents) the latest approaches (trends, preferences, boundaries, prejudices, etc.) on using the terminology Multicultural and/or Intercultural Education, its interpretation in academic papers and in policy documents. The debates on multiculturalisminterculturalism are referred to with the purpose to learn how these debates influence the European education policies. I in...

Critical intercultural perspectives on the place of education in Europe

The texts mentioned in this work are an insights into social, economic, political and cultural impacts on education and modern understanding of diversities in our societies. The analysis points to which extent cultural differences have been evolving into scope of strategies through a time period which connects the past and the present. This represents several references - cultural differences, racism and activism of progressive change - to critical questioning of how it was previously and how it is nowadays a picture of multicultural societies through educational lenses.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Europe: a challenge for educational research and practice

European Educational Research Journal, 2002

Diversity of languages and cultural backgrounds is a common reality in European societies. But European educational systems do not adapt very well to this reality. It can be observed that a linguistic and cultural background different from the respective national one serves as a means of exclusion, of prevention from equal access. The contribution offers reflections about the question, if and how the traditional notion of nation contributes to the -in a democratic society -unwelcome stratification effects for children from immigrant minorities in Europe.

Education in Europe - Cultures, Values, Institutions in Transition

SSRN Electronic Journal

come to know the other inside of oneself is an important prerequisite to cope with the other in the outside world. A mimetic approach towards the other is suggested for further elaboration. In the process of migration and immigration, the other, such as people belonging to different ethnic groups and cultures, is of central importance. Schools are confronted with the task of helping students from different ethnic backgrounds find their way into the society they live in (Leeman). Preparatory arrangements for new arrivals, language programmes, multicultural policies, compensations and enrichment strategies are offered. In spite of these common efforts, approaches to dealing with students from various minorities may vary largely. In the Netherlands there is a strong tendency to allow multiculturalism and to stimulate intercultural education. This has created a shift in the focus of intercultural education, from 'getting to know' immigrants to 'learning how to associate with others'. In this situation multiculturalism is the result of a process of negotiation on cultural and ethnic differences in an ethnically heterogeneous society. Here, major issues are the policy of the school, the school climate, the communication and the contact between school and parents. The problems of 'communication in the school' and of the 'relationship between school and parents' are dealt with in detail. In the context of intercultural education, school motivation, hture perspectives and the well-being of high school students play a central role (Peetsmal Wagenaarlde Kat). In the reported research on pupils in segregated and integrated schools in the Netherlands the findings are evident. The students' motivation and well-being rate higher in an integrated or a black segregated situation in comparison to a segregated white situation. With regard to pupils' motivation, the black segregated situation offers the most positive results for migrant children, whereas native pupils are better motivated in an integrated situation. With regard to well-being, on the other hand, the integrated school offers the best conditions. With regard to 'motivation' and 'well-being', ethnic self-description was of no influence, a finding which calls for M e r research. To develop a positive hture perspective black girls seem to need school more than black boys. On the whole, migrant youngsters adapt easier to their new country than older people. This and other research show that in intercultural education the historical perspective is of central importance. Social phenomena like racism, xenophobia and nationalism can only be dealt with in their historical context (Gundara). History helps to come us to be aware of the development and specificity of different cultures and to perceive their commonalities and differences; art history is an especially important field for intercultural learning, since it allows a non violent mimetic assimilation of a specific culture and permits one to grasp its beauty and value. The production of textbooks, maps and monuments must take this into consideration. What is required in this context is therefore an education oriented towards social integration (Lenzen). Social integration has to cope with four types of disintegration due to national dispositions, ethnic, religious and cultural bonds, physical characteristics and characteristics that stem from social statuses that threaten European integration. Integration as the state of being of a societal system may be distinguished from integration as a social act integrating people in a society. Furthermore, discourse on European integration concerns systemic integration, which can only be observed but not be created. Finally, discourse on the integration of underprivileged groups in the European nations refers to integration as a social act of integration. To achieve European integration the societal system requires at least one code which can be used to decide whether an operation is affiliated to the system or not. Moreover, the participants of the system need a common system of symbols, in which the system can be communicated; they have to be prepared to refrain from those options which are not affiliated with the operation licensed by the system code. A system code communicated through a shared system of symbols must therefore be developed, in which participants are prepared to refrain from certain options. The system must also be self-reflexive. Finally, the question of whether pedagogy has a role to play in establishing these conditions is examined. In intercultural education, as well as in education in general, values play an important role. Issues related to values and value conflicts are central within a pluralistic society. They result from the cohabitation of different ethnic and social groups and are related to the freedom of individuals. What and how something is to be taught are controversial issues in education. This raises the problem of to what extent values can be taught and how value differences and conflicts can be dealt with? All societal and educational transformations imply value changes. To understand them requires sociological imagination (Whitty). Drawing on this, societal and educational alternatives can be conceived and developed, which implies a challenge to many school effectiveness studies that do not pay sufficient attention to alternatives to the existing school system. More than ever must the goals, methods and contents of education in transition be discussed. European unification and globalisation constitute challenges to education by which the traditional character and values thereof might be changed. From the perspective of market-oriented education, values of individualism, competition, performativity and differentiation play an important role. The growth of self-managing schools and the promotion of a decentred market identity go hand in hand. Deregulation of the economic field produces new demands and values for education, engendering changes of 'foreign', as well as the history of relation between them. If to question othemess is necessarily also to question one's self, and vice versa, then understanding the other necessarily involves processes of selfexamination, self-recognition and development. As the 'foreign' becomes more familiar, there is an increased sense of self-estrangement or self-for-References

Intercultural Education in Europe: The Bridge Teaching Values of Cultural Diversity

2020

The phenomenon of migration is not new in the history of humanity. Nevertheless, European countries are still facing difficulties when it comes to the integration of migrant children. In the present paper, intercultural education is seen as a solution to integrate and preserve migrant children's culture. Surprisingly, analysis of its theoretical approach revealed some significant practical weaknesses. As a result, this paper suggests that theoretical methods may not be enough to promote multicultural understanding based on equality, respect and diversity.

INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT: ANALYSIS OF SELECTED EUROPEAN CURRICULA

The fi rst part of the article analyzes the most important stages in developing intercultural education and looks into the theoretical background of this specifi cally European educational concept. The author emphasizes the declarative orientation of European countries towards an intercultural approach (primarily through the work of the Council of Europe and other European institutions), but at the same time the approach is not yet well-established in practice, which can be seen from the fact that there is no common European model of intercultural education yet. Starting from this observation, the second part of the article provides an analysis of the way several national curricula in Europe promote cultural diversitiy in their own contexts. On the basis of the analysis of elements of intercultural education in the selected curricula, the author emphasizes the diversity of approaches and classifi es them into three basic types: liberal, multicultural and intercultural. According to the author, this typology corroborates the thesis that intercultural policies are still the by-product of the respective general national educational and cultural policies.

Introduction: Tolerance and diversity challenges in European education

2012

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