This essay compares and contrasts the educational movements of three nations--the United States, Mexico, and the Soviet Union--established according to Eurocentric cultural values. In each country, mass education was undertaken to help produce an assimilative national culture during formative periods characterized by instability. In two of these…

This article reports on the initial findings from an ethnographic study conducted in a preparatory class for young refugees in Cologne, Germany. Focusing on the current language policy which aims to integrate newly arrived children into the German society through language assimilation in schools, this study examines how such policies (re)produce…

The study presented in this paper focuses upon conceptualisations of language and identity in the institutionalised arena that emerged in the post-Second World War period with the specific intention of teaching Swedish to adult immigrants in the nation-state of Sweden. Our analysis focuses upon the development of the educational programme…

Contemporary Australia is an evolving nation of diverse cultures, but in the past various understandings of national identity were held, first as part of the British empire, then as part of an assimilationist monocultural British society and subsequently as a nation where integration allowed different cultures to be celebrated but within the…

Immigration is increasing racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistics, and religious diversity in nations around the world, which is challenging existing concepts of citizenship and citizenship education. In this article, I challenge assimilationist conceptions of citizenship education and argue that citizenship education should be transformed so that…

The role of international students as catalysts for internationalization and related reforms in the UK higher education sector is increasing. With the growing number of international students, administrators and academics are identifying ways to enable international students to adapt to the UK environment and enhance their experiences as students.…

Overseas trained teachers (OTTs) have become an important part of the make-up of England's primary and secondary education system. Through inadequate, and in some cases a lack of, initial induction and support for professional development, many are at risk of performing sub-optimally and some have become an endangered species. Failure to integrate…

With its recent entry into the European Union (EU) and the adoption of multiethnic democracy as a national policy, a key challenge for Poland is to transform its education policy and practice in ways that are consistent with multicultural and pluralist values. This paper examines Poland's efforts to address these issues by exploring changes in the…

In an "ideal" democratic society, publicly funded schools serve many purposes. Aside from its educational mandate, schools are places for neighbourhood integration, social capital formation and the fostering of civil society. For newly arrived immigrants, especially those with young children, schools are important sites of settlement…

Besides the difficult personal transitions involved in growth from childhood to adulthood, immigrant adolescents face difficult transitions to school as well, as they move from their native cultures to the U.S. culture, through the structures and gateposts of secondary school, and into higher education and work. This book discusses four specific…

Explores the meaning and significance of multicultural education in a global context on the basis of recent cross-cultural research in anthropology. Examines the status of immigrants and "involuntary minorities" in the United States, England, and other countries. Recommends educational changes whereby multicultural education can heal and…

The relationship between race, social cohesion and citizenship has become an important issue in recent political and policy debates. In this paper these questions are explored in the context of the changing forms of ethnic minority political engagement and participation that have evolved in the past two decades. We suggest that there are growing…

Changes in the social organization and context of education were studied in a rural Illinois school district experiencing a rapid influx of Hispanic students. The local meatpacking plant closed, then reopened under a new name and began an aggressive campaign to recruit immigrant and migrant workers who would work for lower wages. In the next 3…

In recent decades, Quebec has been continuously examining its educational values, addressing in particular the effectiveness of traditional educational methods and curricula, role of institutional culture in academic success, and value placed on ethnic integration. Priority should be given to cognitive development and systematic evaluation but…

This paper explores the effects on both immigrants and schools of the historical encounter between New York City's public schools and East European Jewish immigrants to the city. The immigrants' background, their reasons for migrating, and the lifestyles that emerged from their efforts to adapt to American life are described. The paper examines…