Social Justice Education in European Multi-ethnic Schools: Addressing the Goals of Intercultural Education (Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education)

Europe is a multi-ethnic society experiencing a rise of anti-immigration, racist, xenophobic discourses, and right-wing political rhetoric and movements proposing legislation to further solidify structural inequality and institutionalized systems of oppression that fuel educational inequities. Social Justice Education in European Multi-ethnic Schools brings together researchers in the fields of sociology and education to examine debates in multicultural education. Drawing on critical theory, the book takes an in-depth look at how these challenges are being addressed (or not addressed) in educational contexts and in the proposed framework of intercultural education adopted as a conceptual and educational framework by the European Union over the last two decades. The book begins with an analysis of the sociological models and theories of migration and their connection to multiculturalism and interculturalism. It engages in the current debate between multiculturalism and interculturalism, bringing to light the "political rhetoric" that fueled narratives about the "failures" of multiculturalism, which ushered in the intercultural framework. It puts forth a critical analysis of interculturalism, linking it to neoliberalism, and policies of civic integration and the concept of govermentality. Advocating for a transformative framework informed in social justice education that aims to promote more equity in schools, it critically analyzes and discusses intercultural education, the pedagogical extension of interculturalism, as per the European documents highlighting its goals, pedagogies, tensions, and challenges. Social Justice Education in European Multi-ethnic Schools will be of great interest to academics, researchers, and scholars in the fields of intercultural, multicultural, and transformative education. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Foreword 12 Introduction 16 PART I: Intercultural education: Origins, current thinking, practice, and critiques 22 1 Social theories of migration, political realities, and the rise of interculturalism 24 2 Intercultural education: Theoretical model and strategies for implementation 41 3 Talking back: Critical theory and critical pedagogy 61 4 Intercultural education in Italian schools: A case study 78 PART II: Theory in practice: “Us and them,” intergroup friendships, intergroup dialogue, and the promise of social justice education 96 5 “Us and them,” the social construction of race, intersectionality, and the importance of discussing race 98 6 Intergroup relationships in school, intergroup contact, and prejudice reduction: Is it enough? 117 7 Social justice education and anti-colonial educational frameworks and pedagogy with Molly Keehn 136 Final thoughts 156 Afterword 161 References 164 Index 192