Benjamin Zufiaurre

Social Inclusion and Multicultural Perspectives in Spain: Three Case Studies in Northern Spain.

Immigration is the challenge that faces European countries in the immediate future. Spain, a former exporter of migrants, has recently become a host country, which must be taken into account if we wish to promote a multicultural, integrative school system. The aim in this article is to reach some conclusions about the integration of immigrants, not only in the educational system but also in social life generally. In doing so, first the global and national issues are considered, and the various policy solutions that have been proposed in various other European countries, and then a model that integrates several other approaches is applied to reflect on the implications of three types of immigration into Spanish schools. This is then reflected upon by observing and accounting for the experiences of migration reported in three schools. Three case studies are presented, two of infant and primary schools (3–12 years of age), and another of a secondary school (12–18 years of age), to add to the past analysis of the ‘modernist’ approach to recent immigration in schools in one area of Spain.

Student and teacher perceptions of school involvement and their effect on multicultural education: a Catalonian survey

In multilingual schools students have diverse identities, cultural backgrounds, perceptions, capacities and linguistic experiences. The space for teaching and learning is also mediated by stereotypes and prejudices associated with this diversity. Diversity, stereotypes and prejudices shape how teachers and learners operate in a world of complex social relationships. In this survey we explore the hidden attitudes of immigrant students and teachers in secondary education in Catalonia (Spain). The research uses the distinction between explicit and implicit attitudes to analyse immigrant students’ perceptions and teachers’ subconscious perceptions about school involvement. The sample includes 4078 immigrant students with more than six months of residence in the host country that were attending linguistic support classes in secondary schools of Catalonia during the year 2006–2007, and also their regular classroom teachers and support teachers. The survey aims to establish if is there any statistically significant associations between the attitudes of newcomer students and teachers, and the linguistic and geographical origins of the students. We wanted to know if teacher and student perceptions agreed or differed and to characterise stereotypes and prejudices affecting positive or negative attitudes about the organisation of teaching while learning. The results show how the teachers’ perceptions about newcomer students’ involvement differ in many cases from the views of the students, and how lower expectations and subjective manifestations of racism are evident with some groups, especially with students of African origin.

Women infant school teachers: how does society view them and how do they consider their professional role?

Abstract ‘Feminine professions’, such as infant school teachers, nurses, social workers and others, which emerged and grew as a consequence of a second stage in industrial development, through welfare state policies in times of postwar consensus, are under challenge because of liberal policies. In this article we want to reflect and clarify the contradictory situation of infant school working women, how they feel about their professional role, and their role as women and as workers. In order to make these points clear, we refer to research developed mainly with infant school teachers and nurses in Navarra, Spain, from 1993 to 1996. In this article, however, we are going to concentrate on women infant school teachers and, in particular, their professional perception, personal esteem, social role and satisfaction at work.

Researching Gender Professions: Nurses as Professionals

Nurses as professionals of health, childhood education teachers, social workers and caregivers, join a group of “feminine professions” which grew through policies of a welfare state in postwar constructive period, or in times of postwar accords (Jones, 1983). These professions are under challenge because of neoliberal policies and practices in the 21st century. In the paper, we want to give lights to the contradictory situations nurses face, as workers and as care keepers. Nurses, suffer of a combination of public and private functions, at work, at home, and when caring family relatives. The way women feel about their role as professionals, and as women and workers, is illuminative, as we enquired in a funded research developed with nurses in the community of Navarra, Spain, first from 1993 to 1996, and next, checking a continuity each ten years, 2006 and next 2016.

Public Schooling and The Welfare State

The previous chapter examined the diversity of public schooling in the modern era. Yet, many children were not exposed to the disciplines associated with schooling. For these children, circumstances changed in the nineteenth century as many countries made schooling compulsory and universal – in law if not in practice.

Mass Schooling, Globalisation and Human Rights

Previous chapters have considered the rise of mass, popular and compulsory schooling. Nineteenth century changes were marked by legislation that incorporated curricular designs and didactic practices appropriate to mass schooling and to contemporaneous social, political and national ideologies.

New Education for New Times

Perspectives on curriculum and didactics run like a red thread through the history of modern schooling. ‘What should they know?’ is the recurrent curriculum question; ‘How should they be taught?’ is its didactic counterpart.

What Counts as Public Schooling

Discussion of schools and schooling typically focus on their role in society. How do they serve as a civilising medium? How do they integrate young people into the prevailing norms and values of society? How do they assist in the creation of citizens? How do they arouse learners’ capacity for thinking? And how do they prepare them for an unknown future on spaceship earth?

Spaceship Earth as a Global Community

Concern over the earth’s limited resources is sometimes linked with the dynamic idea of spaceship earth. At least as far back as the biblical legend of Noah’s Ark, voyagers have chosen various means of protecting themselves. Noah’s boatbuilding and rescue operation was designed to avoid the flooding that, according to the Bible, accompanied the Earth’s creation.