Racism in Contemporary Educational Reality Parents’ Aspects

Abstract

Greek society and all societies in the countries of Europe alike are
multiculturalist. The adoption and implementation of an intercultural
approach towards “differentiated cultural groups”, will give an
opportunity to their members to actively participate in “social living”
preserving at the same time their own cultural identity within a wider
context of socially acceptable values and practices. The prevalent aspect of
the dominant cultural group considering “foreign” anything different,
ignoring at times the obvious (i.e. that Muslims of Thrace and Gypsies are
also Greek citizens). Even the acceptance of certain different social groups
should follow their “assimilation” in the way of life of the dominant social
group. Thus, prejudice, stereotypes and xenophobia have become an
integral part of daily life. In the 21st century Europe shows contradictory
and ideological signs as to the serious impact national identity have on
daily life and on the future of a nation-country, in general. The awakening
of nationalism in the Middle East throws discredit upon the subsidence of
the same phenomenon in the West. As the political and economic
developments do not seem to be very optimistic in many countries of the
European Union, the phenomenon of reemergence of extreme right
national political parties and nationalist organizations appears to take
place in every country in question, including Greece. The first “victims” of
such an ideological turn are the residents (immigrants and refugees) and
citizens of the European Union whose presence and activity throw
discredit upon the image of a culturally, nationally and racially compact
and unified, as far as ideological orientation is concerned, national state.
Within such a xenophobic and foreign oriented environment, it is likely for
obsolete ideological constructions as well as new created ones to be used as
cognitive, sentimental and behaviorist “tools” in order to behave, realize
and experience “others”. Therefore, a pedagogical intervention is deemed
essential and intentional in an effort to provide elementary analytical
information concerning the social, psychological and educational
mechanisms which produce, preserve and contribute to the perpetuation of
racism. The present paper is focused on the phenomenon of racism in
contemporary educational reality while an effort is made to point out the
levels of racism as far as national identity, racial origin, sex and language
differentiation are concerned.