Inclusive Practice
Refugee Experiences Seeking Employment After Resettlement
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Carrie Mc Cleese, Lisa Baranik
The current study examines employment rates and predictors of employment among Syrian refugees currently living in Lebanon and Jordan. This paper argues that male and female refugees have different experiences seeking out employment after resettlement due to patriarchal structures and attitudes towards women that are present in the Arab Middle East. The goals of this study were a) to update employment rates among Syrian refugees and b) to examine predictors of employment among male and female refugees. Nationally representative data from 600 refugees and 1400 native-born individuals living in Lebanon and Jordan were used. Native-born individuals living in Lebanon and Jordan were 2.53 times more likely to be employed than refugees. Men were eight times more likely to be employed than women. Finally, attitudes towards women’s rights and roles moderated the relationship between refugee status and employment. Among native-born women, a positive attitude towards women’s rights and roles predicted employment status, whereas this positive relationship was not found for women refugees. Among refugee men, a positive attitude towards women’s rights and roles was linked to a lower likelihood of holding a job. These findings suggest that agencies supporting refugees should communicate realistic expectations about employment during resettlement. This study is the first study to identify attitudes towards women’s rights and roles as a predictor of employment among refugee populations and highlights the unique struggles that refugee women face.
Erasmus Students - Learning Within a Multicultural Context: The Case of the Greek Language and Culture Laboratory of University of Patras
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Eleni Georgoudaki, Dimitra Giotopoulou, Argyro Dimitrelou
In this paper we consider the connection between the mobility flows of incoming Erasmus students and the creation of reflective curricula of Greek language and culture courses within a multicultural context. For this purpose, we present key finding from quantitative data provided by digital cartography (GIS) and qualitative data obtained by students and teachers of Greek language and culture courses. The inclusion of language and cultural elements on Erasmus study programmes increases students’ satisfaction, creates strong intercultural competencies and understanding of one’s own culture, as well as preparing students for global citizenship. It also encourages the active engagement of international students in their host cities. In addition, the adoption of new learning practices, based on multiliteracies model, provide creative ways to express their emotions, experiences, and ideas. The benefits of this approach expand to the host university and the implementation of its internationalization policy as well as to the host city, which gain visibility and useful comments about its functions from an alternative source.
Pre-Kindergarten through High School Completion Diversity and Inclusion: Process and Progress in a Large Suburban School District
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lauren Michels
This paper focuses on my graduate degree research and study in education policy, organization, and leadership with a concentration in global studies in education as well as related international experiences, elementary classroom teaching practices, and current initiatives within the School District in which I teach in suburban Chicago. I discuss the use of best practices for teaching global citizenship in the elementary classroom as well as the initiatives of the District’s Diversity Advisory Committee, on which I serve. This committee includes administrators, classroom educators, school specialists, and community members. Collaboration among stakeholders led to the hiring of a Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the District. The committee’s current and ongoing work includes assessing strengths and opportunities for growth as they relate to the District’s culture and climate, curriculum and instruction, student input and voice, recruitment and hiring, academic and discipline disparities, family and community engagement, as well as staff training and development. District outcomes include partnering with diverse stakeholders, creating a social media presence, and revising recruitment efforts. Classroom outcomes include celebrating all students’ cultures, creatively engaging all families, promoting student exploration of unknown places and cultures, and using literature to facilitate rich conversations around diversity and inclusion. Next steps for me include facilitating a District professional development course and starting a multicultural club for students. Next steps in the District include a required professional development series starting with the topic of implicit bias and an audit of curriculum for cultural bias.
One Dance Step, One Dialogue Circle at a Time: Integrating Art and Racial Justice in Canada
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Olufunke Oba
Decolonization originates in the human consciousness, therefore Frere (2000) emphasized the need to articulate one’s cultural identity. Article 30 0f the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, also highlights the right of children to their own culture especially where their practices differ from those of the host community or the majority. This community participatory qualitative research explores the impact of Black cultural arts in promoting racial justice. Framed by decolonizing and Afrocentric theories, the research employs Black Diaspora music to foster racial justice dialogue circles among high school students. Scholarship shows that exposure to diversity alone does not automatically engender consciousness raising and reflexivity. However, combined with strategic conversations, exposure to “the other” has efficacy in counteracting ahistorical narratives. They jointly promote cultural appreciation, healthy school climate, wellbeing and academic achievement. These are important findings from this study as more African, Caribbean, and Black Identifying (ACBI) families are settling in smaller Canadian cities in response to liberalized immigration laws. Integrating participatory music performance with school and community dialogue on racial justice promotes racial justice, inclusive school climate and more equitable educational outcomes. In this paper, I reflect on my role in the research and proffer recommendations for school administrators and researchers interested in employing racial justice dialogue and music to create inclusive and equitable learning environments.
