Colloquia
Immigrants and Local Diversity in Japan: Local and International Perspectives on Exclusion and Inclusion
Colloquium Kazuyo Murata, Julian Chapple, Masataka Yamaguchi, Kaori Hata, Naoko Ooishi, Magda Bolzoni
In April 2019, modifications to Japan’s immigration regulations came into effect, ostensibly opening the nation up to unskilled foreign workers for the first time in its modern history. While Japan’s hand may have been reluctantly forced by serious labourforce shortages in many sectors of the economy, it is undoubtedly the beginning of the creation of an even more ‘multicultural Japan’; providing further impetus to the pressing challenge of creating a society where diverse peoples can live together in harmony. This colloquium addresses the prospects and problems local Japanese society faces from both micro and macro points of view spanning a number of thematic perspectives. For any nation’s immigration policy to be successful, inclusion practices at the local level must be supported, comprehensive and meaningful. Drawing on examples from fieldwork and examples in England, Italy, New Zealand and Japan, this set of papers discusses successful practices at the local level aimed at alleviating problems associated with belonging and acceptance caused by alienation, discrimination, educational stress, and workplace disharmony. In particular, the situation pertaining to schools, institutions, families and communities are examined and best practice suggestions are offered. The overall consensus of the papers stress that for Japan’s initiative to be successful - for both immigrants and Japanese - there is a need to embrace and effect lasting change. Through proper planning, preparation and education, we suggest how Japan’s model could provide a successful option for other countries to follow in the future.
Diversity and Education: A Global Debate on Educational Frameworks
Colloquium Carmen Veloria, Rina Manuela Contini, Cinzia Pica Smith, Anna Bussu
Global migration, increasingly multiethnic, multicultural, and religiously diverse communities, visible economic and educational inequities between immigrant, second-generation, citizens, and non-citizens groups have forced educators and policy makers to grapple with questions about how to re-design and organize social, political, and educational institutions towards more equitable and integrated societies. In this colloquium, scholar-practitioners from across the globe engage with the theory and practice of intercultural education to describe, interrogate, critique, and put forth recommendations for future iterations of policy and practice. They extend the dialogue opened in the edited collection, Intercultural Education: Critical Perspectives, Pedagogical Challenges, and Promising Practices, (Nova Sciences Publishers, forthcoming) to critically interrogate the two educational frameworks of interculturalism and multiculturalism. The theoretical, conceptual and case study papers not only historicize, contextualize, and problematize the conceptual educational frameworks, but challenges us think about possibilities, connections, and limitations in order to provide a roadmap of real-life possibilities for change.
