Educational Links
Global Education: A Rhizomatic Journey
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Dana Cole
This paper is an extension of my doctoral work, which explores Western ideological dominance by addressing epistemological authority as well as methodological dogma in education through a multi-layered text that is both written in academicese as well as narrative autobiography and incorporates art, music, web links and poetry to question and comment on Western ideas about knowing and being (Cole, 2018). My work is both an investigation of the International students global perspectives as well as a questioning of Western domination. In this sense this work enters the postcolonial conversation that is echoed in many fields from education (Au, 2009) to history and philosophy (Quijano, 2000; Venn, 2006; Denzin, Lincoln & Smith, 2008) to film studies (Bâ & Higbee, 2012) to trauma studies (Andermahr, 2015). I will interrogate representation (Stam & Spence, 1983; Hall, 1997) using ideas from postcolonial theory (Spivak & Harasym, 2014; Venn, 2006) by deconstructing and questioning the relationship between me, the documentarian/author, and those I am interviewing. As a professor of social sciences, I have developed a relationship with many students who have immigrated from non-Western countries. Through interview footage with students, the content of the film will address the experience of non-Western immigrant students by hearing their voices and examining their art, literature and linguistic projects. Through creative editing, layering of sound and disruptions of time the structure and form of the film will address questions of Western ideological and methodological domination.
Youth, Employment, and Social Cohesion: A Case Study in Spain
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Iñigo González fuente
The main objective of this paper is to assess the working conditions that are being offered to the youth in Spain. With the intent of linking employment and social cohesion, some of the processes via which youths enter the labor market have been described and interpreted. Specifically, the author focuses on the biographies of youths who manage to make work compatible with their studies. This research was developed in region of Cantabria in two stages, both of which followed a methodology of Anthropology and Social Sciences that combines longitudinal study from 2013-2018, fieldwork techniques, and the generation of ethnographic information. The author concludes that it is rather impossible to establish a connection between social cohesion and quality employment taking into consideration that none of the youths interviewed had ever had quality jobs. As such, what makes some young workers continue to study depends significantly on the possession of a range of sources of social capital and of a diversity –and also quantity- of resources.
ArtsTogether Inclusive Curriculum: Promoting Integration within European Migrant Communities
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session June Bianchi
Research data indicates that migrant children face complex intersectional challenges, including language acquisition, low socio-economic status, psychological trauma, low educational expectations from parents and teachers, and insufficient family and community support (Population Europe, 2014). Integration into the social and cultural fabric of society is crucial for individuals’ wellbeing, social cohesion, and economic growth, creating a mutually beneficial collaborative space to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers. Article 27 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) cites participation in cultural, social, and scientific community life as an entitlement for all inhabitants. UK-based research findings, advocate arts engagement as a means of fostering community cohesion between host communities and refugees, impacting on levels of education, health, and wellbeing (APPG 2017). The two-year project ArtsTogether, funded by the European Commission’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund, is developing an inclusive arts-based curriculum which respects diversity, fosters mutual understanding, and improves the educational performance of migrant students. ArtsTogether’s partnership of five European countries, promotes societal integration through innovative, expressive arts education, challenging discrimination, and increasing third country nationals’ participation in educational, cultural, and social engagement. ArtsTogether’s inclusive Curriculum, created by Bath Spa University, disseminates expressive arts educational materials, resources, and strategies, supporting individual and social integration. The Curriculum is being trialled within migrant centres and camps, schools, nurseries, and community settings in Sicily and Greece. Following evaluation of the pilot tests during 2019, the Curriculum will be made available across Europe, supporting inclusive practice and initiating policy recommendations at all educational levels.
