Momodou Sallah

Developing intercultural competence in Europe: the challenges

Abstract Anti-racism has not played a prominent role in recent major European Union Lifelong Learning strategies. Nevertheless, its importance in Europe with increasing levels of migration has kept the concept, in the form of intercultural competence and intercultural dialogue, alive within European Education and Culture policy. This article traces the use of the terminology of culture within European policy and practice, in particular focusing on intercultural learning in European Youth work. It explores the effectiveness of the use of culture in addressing discrimination at an individual and structural level, using empirical examples. The article concludes that practice that focuses almost entirely on interpersonal skills at the individual level has limited influence in creating structural change. The article ends with proposals for anti-discrimination policy and practice.

Participatory Action Research with ‘Minority Communities’ and the Complexities of Emancipatory Tensions: Intersectionality and cultural affinity

Conducting research with communities constructed as the ‘other’ from a purely positivist paradigm can often be replete with colossal flaws with enormous potential to oppress the researched – especially minority communities in this case. This article presents an analysis of the cultural and experiential affinity experiences of the author towards a constructivist approach where the research process is emancipatory and the ultimate goal of engagement is for both the researcher and the researched to become co-producers of knowledge. The multidimensional identities of some ‘minority communities’ and their intersectionality are also discussed. This includes an exploration of this authors identity as a visible member of minority groups and the resulting cultural affinity that imbues his research as well as the participatory nature of his approach that seeks to liberate. The article will also highlight methodological implications of this authors empiric work, complemented by lessons drawn from recent research projects conducted with ‘minorities’ in different parts of the UK to illuminate methodological complexities and illustrate anti-oppressive practice with ‘minority communities’. This article is framed around the four theoretical constructs of Intersectionality; Participatory Action Research; Cultural Affinity/Experiential Affinity; and Freires transformative education pedagogy.

Race, Ethnicity and Young People

Constructions of ‘race’ and ethnicity continue to affect how some people are socialized by the structures of society. This chapter explores theoretical and policy contributions to constructions of ‘race’ and ethnicity, and how it affects the lives of Black (Sallah and Howson 2007) young people. It starts with an exploration of the changing demographics of Europe generally and the UK in particular. It then looks at constructions of ‘race’ and the cumulative effect of these on racial and ethnic considerations in relation to working with Black young people. After an examination of Critical Race Theory and the articulation of the political definition of Black, the significance of cultural competence, based on mainstream practitioners gaining the required skills, values, attitudes, knowledge and resources, will be explored. The chapter concludes that culturally-competent praxis from mainstream services is needed to effectively counter defective constructions of ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’, and their enactments, especially in relation to Black young people.