Research on Intercultural Learning

The rise and characteristics of Intercultural Learning

We can situate the emergence of intercultural approaches to education within the international era of decolonization and the promotion of human rights initiated by various oppressed groups.

These latter groups initially sought to end injustice and discrimination in order to live together in equality and respect. These approaches were developed to ensure that the education system reflected the diversity and multiplicity present in the classroom, as well as to combat the structural discriminatory practices faced by a large number of minority populations and migrants.

During the civil rights movement of the 1960s and early 1970s, multi-cultural education emerged as a way to "eradicate discrimination in public accommodations, housing, employment, and education" (Banks & Banks, 2013).

Multi-cultural education, influenced by the concept of multiculturalism, refers to educational practices that include "a wide variety of programs and practices related to educational equity, women, ethnic groups, language minorities, low-income groups, and people with disabilities" (Banks & Banks, 2010, p. 7).

Organizations that pioneered in promoting interculturalism in education

Among the numerous institutions worldwide concerned with intercultural approaches to education, Akkari & Radhouane highlight the contributions of UNESCO and the Council of Europe. From its inception in 1945 to its most recent publications, UNESCO has played an important role in promoting cultural diversity. The UNESCO Constitution places a strong emphasis on justice and the struggle against discrimination. In 1952, UNESCO also published a series of studies on racism. UNESCO held a symposium in Paris in 1955 on the theme "The positive contribution of immigrants," followed by a conference in Havana in 1956 on "The cultural integration of migrants". In 2006, UNESCO’s guidelines for intercultural education were published (UNESCO, 2006). Since that time, there have been a large number of books, speeches and documents by the organization contributing to improving the image of diversity, both within the education system and elsewhere.

The second international organization that they discussed is the Council of Europe, which is very interested in how educational systems view cultural diversity. It is, in fact, one of the pioneering European organizations that, since the 1970s, has promoted awareness about students from various cultures in order for them to learn the major culture's language and integrate into national education programs. During the same decade, the organization advocated for the recognition of students' first languages and took part in an institutional drive to establish language courses and lessons on cultures of origin, among other things (Auger, 2007). As with UNESCO, the Council of Europe’s work concerning intercultural education has evolved over time and in response to changes taking place in the world. The nature of their message also evolved.

Source: Akkari & Radhouane

The multiplicity of terms

One of the challenges for those interested in intercultural approaches to education (both professionals and researchers) is the plethora of terms used in this field. Multiculturalism and interculturalism are two attitudes promoting diversity and cultural differences. Multiculturalism corresponds to the image of a mosaic in which all cultures have their place, but do not mix (remaining side by side), while interculturalism may be illustrated by the image of weaving, in which all the cultures are in contact with each other. Multicultural education uses learning about other cultures in order to produce acceptance, or at least tolerance, of these cultures. Intercultural education aims to go beyond passive coexistence, to achieve a developing and sustainable way of living together in multicultural societies through the creation of understanding of, respect for and dialogue between the different cultural groups (UNESCO, 2006, p. 18).

Internationally, there is a wide range of terms used to describe intercultural approaches to education. This variety reflects the fact that they are always embedded in a social, political, legal, and historical framework. A distinction is frequently drawn between multicultural and intercultural approaches. The former is limited to recognizing the distinction, whereas the latter is an expression of the importance placed on interactions. Nonetheless, in several models, documents and frameworks, the terms were used interchangeably.

Below is a list of terms from the Akkari & Radhouane book on the multiplicity of terms