About

Network 14: Multicultural Educational Research
Welcome to the Network on Multicultural Educational Research

The main focus in the network is with the increasing ethnic complexity in our societies due to migration, international mobility, reception of refugees, and increased recognition of national regional, linguistic and religious minorities which challenge national educational systems.

A part of this challenge can be translated into the permanent underachievement of children with ethnic minority background and which activates reflections about recognition of difference, social justice and equal opportunity in education.

With the ’cultural turn’ and the critical examination of the concept of culture revealing its implicit static and essentialized dimensions,  it has become increasingly difficult to use the concept of culture in the study of difference and social groups (note concepts like hyperdiversity, intersectionality, multiple identities, hybridity, creolization, hyphenated identities, multi- and bilingualism).

Recognizing the shortcomings of the concept of multicultural educational research, the aim of the network is to be a space for research based discussions and exchanges about how to conceptualize and research the social construction of difference and diversity in education in the Nordic countries, and we invite you to be part in the continued reconstruction of the field.

In this perspective research in multicultural education can be seen as a research perspective which both examines the construction of concepts related to the research in ethnic complexity and which is critical to the culturally homogeneous perspective that has been dominating much educational thought in western nation states.

Under the different bullits on the right side of the page we try to organize discussions, news, information about publications, and the member list can serve as more direct access to contact.

The network is working with a convenor and a co-convenor which shift every year according to the country which hosts the conference.
In 2014 the conference will be held in Lillehammer, Norway.