Education through and for Change Alexandria Education Convention December 2012 Steven Stegers, EUROCLIO – European Association of History Educators

Education through and for change A changing world. The world we live in is constantly changing. And so are we. Beliefs, Ideas and Policies Economy. Technologies The Environment Institutes Communities Conflicts Alliances Level of interconnectedness

Education through and for change Reacting to a changing world and the role of self How do we perceive these changes? Are the changes negative, positive, or is it more complicated? Who is the driving force behind these changes? Can we influence the change ourselves? To what extent? How?

Education through and for change Diversity of perceptions rooted in a diversity of experiences There is no clear-cut answer to these questions. How people answer these questions depends (amongst others) on their beliefs, attitudes and personalities – and also on their personal experiences, exposure to the information from the media, communication with other people, formal education, and the way people process this information.

Education through and for change Is there a role for intercultural citizens? One of the ideas behind intercultural citizenship education is that there is role and responsibility for citizens to contribute to society. Traditionally, citizenship has focussed on issues within a national framework. At present, as the world becomes more interconnected, and problems become more global, there is a growing need for citizens to work together.

Education through and for change How to interact positively? The main challenge to work towards communities lies in the diversity within the human population. Beliefs, attitudes, personalities, experiences and exposure and access to information are very different from person to person and from country to country. The situation becomes even more complex, when conflict and tensions between communities have led to negative perceptions, attitudes and experiences toward the other.

Education through and for change The mission The defining feature of intercultural citizen is that he or she contributes positively to society with respect for diversity. Positive participation in society is something that goes beyond the classroom. It is impacting peoples lives and – to a certain extent – implies changing peoples behaviour, perceptions and knowledge.

Education through and for change Methodology The main question of the chapter is which attitudes, skills, and knowledge are needed in order to become an intercultural citizen.

Positive interaction on basis of equality Negative interaction on the basis of inequality Vicious Conflict Cycle Negative behaviors towards Negatively Identifying with Misunderstanding of Negative attitudes towards Negative interest in Lack of understanding of Indifference toward Disinterest in Cooperation and Conflict Transformation Positive behavior towards Identifying with / Belonging to Understanding of Positive attitudes towards Positive interest in gender religion sexual orientation age ethnicitylanguage health the others and the world we live in citizenship the environment culture Something to strive for: Stimulating people to contribute positively to society with respect for diversity on the basis of equality.

Education through and for change An example of negative interaction

Education through and for change The Need for a Paradigm Shift From West vs. The Rest To Moderates vs. Extremist

Education through and for change (Inter)group Dynamics Identity Theory (in and out-group) Intergroup Contact Theory (interaction) Social Dilemmas Practices Radicalisation (for example Stormfront) Mediation / Conflict Resolution

Education through and for change Identity Theory Christine Ho, 2007

Education through and for change Social Dilemmas

Education through and for change Group Dynamics Identity and Perception: Providing multiple labels of otherness whilst problematizing these labels. Knowledge: Knowledge (and understanding) of different cultures and communities. Knowledge relevant for civic activism on cross-border level. Attitudes: Curiosity, Openness, Tolerance for uncertainty. Values: Equality, Diversity Skills: Ability to identify the common interest, Ability to differentiate between people who are directly responsible and those who are not (by proxy). Ability to disagree peacefully. Ability to differentiate between fact and opinion. Behaviour: Positive interaction.

Education through and for change Group Work Form groups of manageable size. Get a pen & paper.

Education through and for change Group Work: Criteria List as many possible criteria by which you can divide groups. (for example man/women, moderate/conservative). Create a card for each criterion that your group comes up with.

Education through and for change Group Work: Criteria Look at the criteria and try to group them in a meaningful way. Discuss (for each group of criteria) which term describes the group of criteria best and list them when there is consensus.

Education through and for change Does the problematization of the labels help?