LEARNING FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE: Concepts and Strategies

By Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Regional Seminar Inclusive Education in Context of Social and Cultural Diversity

Pula and Brijuni, 17-19 September 2009 Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Key points of the presentation

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Our relations towards the different is the function of social construction of ourselves and the others Intercultural dialogue (ID) has appeared only recently as the latest solution to a long-lasting challenge of accommodating to the different ID represents a historical shift in conceiving the different from the social threat to the social enrichment The basis of that shift is the universal recognition that all human beings are equal in dignity and rights Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Key points of the presentation,

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   ID is potentially an important assimilation era tool for the inclusion of the socially marginalised and the integration of culturally diverse democratic societies in a post Whether ID would serve that purpose depends on at least three inter-related presumptions : the introduction of intercultural policies that target the culture of society (respect for the differences and the diversity) the recognition of the importance of learning ID through education and, in particular, through intercultural education the restructuring the curricula, school organisation and school culture to enable intercultural communication, dialogue and negotiation among students, teachers and local community Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Key points of the presentation,

cont.

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         Whether intercultural education would promote ID as the dialogue among the equals largely depends on the changes in the following: the purpose of education and schooling the aims and objectives and institution levels) of education and schooling (system teaching and learning contents teaching and learning methods (curricula) teaching and learning institutional institutional schooling resources management and leadership organisation and ethos (school culture) relation of the culture of educational institution towards a wider culture philosophical and theoretical approaches to education and Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Key conceptual issues

     Is the term ‘cultural difference’ synonym with ‘cultural pluralism’ and ‘cultural pluralism’ with ‘interculturalism’?

Does cultural pluralism necessarily lead to interculturalism?

Does interculturalism necessarily include intercultural education?

Does intercultural education necessarily promote cultural pluralism?

Is cultural pluralism promoted by education dialogic? Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Terminological confusion

Cultural differences Cultural pluralism (reality - perception) (idea - attitude) Cultural diversity cultural pluralism is adopted - understanding) Interculturalism (a description of the social reality once (policy - action) Intercultural education (particular field of social action) Intercultural – multicultural (context-bounded terms) Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Three levels of the analysis

 The changes in understanding cultural differences and the culturally different (from assimilationism to cultural pluralism)  The introduction of the idea of cultural pluralism in education (intercultural/multicultural policies for/in education)  The limitations in promoting cultural pluralism through education (who represents whom, how and for what purpose?) Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The changes in understanding cultural differences and the culturally different

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The Golden Ages of Ignorance The Disturbing Ages of Rhetoric The Promising Ages of Accommodation The Challenging Ages of Exchange

 Key dimensions of the analysis:  Perception     Recognition (Self)representation Respect Power-sharing Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The Golden Ages of Ignorance

(1) Period: prior to WW2 Categorisation of differences: The roots: the Civilised and the Savage uni-linear evolution theory (social Darwinism) structural functionalism Policies: assimilation and/or adaptation Consequences: - racism and discrimination justified in terms of inborn inequality of people - blame-the-victim strategy (mental malfunctioning and/or deprivation Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The Golden Ages of Ignorance

(2)

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ARE 'SEEN' BUT NEITHER RECOGNISED NOR RESPECTED

Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The Disturbing Ages of Rhetoric

(1) Period: post- WW2 Categorisation of differences: the Mainstreamer and the Ethnic The roots: Policies: suppression of cultural differences inconsistent with the core democratic principles strengthened by the international consensus; the emergence of cultural rights as group rights through the recognition of collective suffering assimilationism and/or adaptation Consequences: the dispute over individual and collective rights: rights vs. social goals Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The Disturbing Ages of Rhetoric

(2)

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ARE SEEN AND ABOUT TO BE RECOGNISED BUT STILL NOT RESPECTED

Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The Promising Ages of Accommodation

(1) Period: post-1980s Categorisation of differences: the Citizen belonging to the Minority or Majority The roots: new social/ethnic movements; the raise in xenophobia, racism, intolerance and social exclusion in regards to the different; the emergence of the idea of a society enriched by its diversity supported by international consensus Policies: initially - retention policies for ‘the un-meltable’ and ‘the ethnic/tribal’; later – intercultural policies as a means of strengthening culturally plural societies Consequences: - from the point of the different: a shift from the politics of difference to the politics of identity (the right to be different, equal and self-represented) Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The Promising Ages of Accommodation

(2)

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND SEEN, RECOGNISED AND ABOUT TO BE RESPECTED BUT THE ISSUE OF (SELF)REPRESENTATION AND POWER SHARING REMAINS

Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

The introduction of the idea of cultural pluralism in education

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monocultural perspective

- differences seen as a transitional quality

multicultural perspective

- differences seen as social reality

intercultural perspective

- differences seen as social value, richness or strength Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Monocultural perspective

   Objective: to equalise educational opportunities for a culturally different student and to challenge the cultural deficiency hypothesis by developing knowledge and skills for participating in the mainstream culture Target group: minority pupils Programmes:       differences seen as a transitional quality education for a culturally different student (‘benevolent multiculturalism’ approach) Intergroup Education Movement transitional education earlier approaches to bicultural or bilingual education English as a Second Language - ESL student-oriented intercultural/multicultural education Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Multicultural perspective

   differences seen as social reality Objective: to reduce ethnocentrism and ethnic stereotypes from curricula and textbooks by providing information about different cultures, developing intercultural sensitivity, and, in some cases, addressing racism and discrimination Target group: all pupils (minority & majority) Programmes:       education about cultural differences education for cultural understanding ethnic studies (single-group studies) bicultural or bilingual education earlier approaches to development education content-oriented intercultural/multicultural education Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Intercultural perspective

differences seen as social value, richness or strength

Two types of discourses:

  Explicatory, descriptive

– similar to multicultural perspective

Critical Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Critical intercultural education discourse

   Objective: to develop critical awareness, resistance to oppression, emancipating dialogue and interaction among different cultural perspectives, values and experiences as a means of developing a democratic society Target group: all pupils (minority & majority) Programmes:        education for social reconstruction pedagogy of empowerment critical pedagogy border pedagogy pedagogy of resistance dialogic pedagogy community/society-oriented intercultural/multicultural education Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

Limitations in promoting cultural pluralism through education

    what knowledge counts and who posses it (the politics of voice) the "limitations of the desire for dialogue" (the idea of togetherness and the dialogue-across-differences approach fail to hold positive meaning for subordinate groups) the students belonging to subordinate groups perceive themselves as the ‘other’ in multicultural classrooms an emerging desire for separation (the mainstreaming of the marginalized knowledge)

MULTI/INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR STRENGTHENING ETHNOCENTRIC MULTICULTURALISM OR MULTICULTURAL ETHNOCENTRISMS

Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

What is the next step? – The Challenging Ages of Exchange

   Intercultural dialogue: the European political agenda The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, 2008 White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue: Living Together as Equals in Dignity, CoE 2008:  “A process that comprises an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups with different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and heritage, on the basis of mutual understanding and respect.” It serves to “promote a deeper understanding of diverse worldviews and practices, to increase cooperation and participation (or the freedom to make choices), to allow personal growth and transformation, and to promote tolerance and respect for the other.” As such, it fosters not only equality and human dignity but a sense of common purpose and, thus, contributes to political, cultural and economic integration, and social cohesion.

 Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas

How can ID contribute to both identity-building and social cohesion?

     Conceptualise and institutionalise a dialogue-centred intercultural/multicultural education Link ID to intercultural competency , intercultural sensitivity , intercultural communication , intercultural adaptation , acculturation attitude , etc., into the body of knowledge on intercultural education that focuses on interaction, dialogue and negotiation Informe intercultural/multicultural education by critical educational discourses , especially the ones developed in the context of the dialogic and engaged pedagogy , as well as the pedagogy of emancipation and empowerment Integrate school culture research in the theory and practice of intercultural/multicultural education link learning for ID to human rights education , education for social justice and engagement , education for social change , anti-racist and anti-prejudice education , education for peaceful conflict resolution and education for active and responsible citizenship .

Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas