Prevention of prejudice and promotion of inclusive school environment through increased diversity competence

The main goal of this project is to develop new knowledge on prejudice, hate speech and practices and attitudes that might cause exclusion in the school context that might help teachers develop anti-oppressive and inclusive teaching practises.

Background 

Education involves interaction between people and therefore always involves a risk. When students express prejudices or hateful expressions, the feeling of risk may be particularly acute. Recent research based on classroom observations and interviews with teachers indicates that teachers may feel vulnerable and puzzled when students express prejudices and radical attitudes related to, for example, racism, immigration, anti-Semitism, Islam, homosexuality or right-wing extremism. Along the same line, research has suggested that teachers only to a limited extent have addressed the event on July 22 2011 in order to discuss undemocratic attitudes, radicalization and political violence, because they feel unsure of how to handle different and radical responses from the students.

Objective 

Through interviews with both students and teachers, this project will develop new knowledge of how prejudices and hateful expressions are experienced and handled in the school context. The overall goal is to provide teachers with new perspectives on how to handle their own discomfort in risky situations, and not the least to meet and protect students who are both violated and violating

Social impact 

The knowledge developed through the two doctoral projects included in this project, will help teachers to develop increased diversity competence related to both knowledge and perspectives, thus helping schools to prevent group-based prejudices and hate speech and to promote safe, Inclusive school environment for all.