What lies in the concept??intercultural education?? In this post will discuss the theories from Kamil ?zerk?when?analysing?this term.I wish to?take into account the?multicultural society which lies underneath to understand where the concept has been given its roots.?Furthermore, I wish to discuss different approaches and?options towards adopting such an education in Norwegian schools.
The term ?intercultural?education? can be defined as an education where cultures meet and take part of each other in cooperation.?It can be looked as an opposite against??multicultural education?, where we learn about how different cultures are, and meet them only objectified.
The core of intercultural education lies within a meeting point where both the majority and minority culture take part, acknowledge and understand each other. The idea is that students should use their own internal references and use it in their learning process. By taking advantage of their own reference field, they assimilate it with something they already know, internalizing the new learning material into their former knowledge. In this way, students can both share the world in which they meet as individuals, and also reorganize their knowledge when encountering other perspectives. Schools are in this matter seen as a melting plot where cultures meet; by taking into account the students own resources and knowledge, creating a better and more democratic education than that which has been the case until now.
The background for intercultural education lies primarily in the multicultural dimension in which society stands against. The demographic changes in Norway, has led to big changes in lifespan, cultural groups and new paradigms of thought. There are challenges which can both enhance and decrease welfare. There is today, awareness of the fact that there are different ways of being Norwegian. One agrees that there should be freedom to be able to choose a preferred lifestyle, language one wishes to speak, and which culture one seeks?belongingness?to. There seems to be no problem being connected to different cultures ? so overall there is a big YES to multiculturalism.
On the other hand, there has been shed light over the multicultural society. One starts to question whether our society is characterized by diversity or multiculturalism. We are no longer today the ideal Norwegian society, as characterized by our forefathers. There lies a tension within the Norwegians themselves over what seems to be a question of origin; the Norwegian culture seems itself to be a culture within the diversity of many others. ?zerk describes this as living in a state of diversified society. Modernization with its radical features, has led to a notion of living in a borderless society, where the borders are in a tension against each other. Do we wish plurality or marginality? Diversity or similarity? Should the collective or individuals come first? These dimensions have led to a radicalization of the educational dimensions creating new ways of organizing and structuring the learning process, also introduced as ?intercultural education?. ?According to ?zerk if we pursue a policy of intercultural education as such, it will take into account these tensions and meet them in community. Through democratization and rational actions one can create both peace and profitable learning options.
However, ?zerks theories also shed light on the problems and main issues concerning intercultural education. One can ask what kind of education do we prefer? Should be such an education that it includes all? Or should the minorities have special rights? According to ?zerk, concept of similarity has different dimensions. For example, there?s a great agreement today that social background?shouldn?t?decide ones education or competence. Resource equality like for example; special rights for minorities, special needs education, native language education, economic support, should be able to secure such a result.
Further on, one can also discuss whether or not equality in education enables other perspectives. According to ?zerk, Norwegian schools are in unity when they compete internationally with other nations. Results from single individuals are seen as part of a unity among all the Norwegian students. In this matter intercultural education can enhance the minorities and majority?s possibility to learn from each other, and together improve the overall results when competing internationally.
Last but not least, bilingualism and culture as resources enable new dimensions in Norwegian schools and employment. The gap between culture diminishes eventually, descendants of the first generations are about to grow up. Norwegian schools should therefore build up possibilities to use these students as resources when being challenged against new problems. According to NOU-reports, descendants follow a new road in which none of their generations before have been. To facilitating options and educations for them is therefore a big need.
By way of conclusion, one can say that intercultural education requires both obstacles and options when meeting new challenges. In this article, I have tried to explain the educational dimensions of the multicultural society within structure of today?s modern society.
No doubt society has to be changed, and continue to change, but education can and should strive to be the first step towards changing these paradigms and structures in a positive way ? meeting the needs of current and future dilemmas.
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