Different, but equal: The motives of intercultural pedagogy

Overarching approach: Intercultural pedagogy encompasses all concepts that prepare children with or without a migration background for life in a heterogeneous society. This can be in an interculturally oriented kindergarten or school, but intercultural pedagogy can also be implemented in other childcare facilities, sports clubs or playgroups. Intercultural pedagogy is based on two central principles.

• Recognition of equality: All people are regarded as equal regardless of their skin color, origin, language, religion, age and other characteristics and are treated impartially with the same respect.

• Recognition of diversity: Alongside the understanding of the equality of all people comes the awareness that different societies have individual cultural forms of expression and ways of life, which are not 'deviations' from the norm but each constitute their own way of life among many.

• Appreciation as a core competence: The aim of intercultural pedagogy is to convey respect for the otherness and equal worth of different cultures. Those who learn from an early age to value differences without categorizing them as 'normal' and 'deviant' — so the idea goes — have the appropriate tools for the challenges and opportunities of a multicultural social reality.

Key aspects of intercultural pedagogy

Many different institutions consciously or unconsciously implement individual aspects of intercultural pedagogy in everyday life – this happens almost automatically, for example when children and caregivers from different cultures come together. But there are also daycare centers and schools that intentionally work according to the concept of intercultural pedagogy. The focal points are social development and the cultural-educational formation of the children.

Multilingualism — part of everyday life

Multilingualism is an important aspect of intercultural pedagogy. It not only promotes openness to other cultures but also language comprehension and cognitive abilities. In international kindergartens and schools, for example, bilingualism or multilingualism is deliberately promoted. At the same time, care is taken that children who speak other languages learn the respective national language.

Ignorance as a prerequisite for cultural openness

The ability to accept one's own lack of knowledge is an important foundation of the intercultural approach. Those who do not know or understand everything remain curious about other cultural lifeworlds and peculiarities. Therefore, intercultural pedagogy seeks from the outset to foster an open, unforced approach to otherness.

Intercultural pedagogy in practice

In daycare centers that work with the concept of intercultural pedagogy, the life-world of the children and their families is at the center. The cultural background of the children is actively incorporated into the pedagogical offerings and into the design of the premises. Different cultures in everyday life: The goal of intercultural work is not to place a particular culture at the center and, for example, treat it in a themed day. On the contrary: the various cultures are naturally included in the normal pedagogical everyday routine – in the morning circle, in conversations and games, when singing, crafting and so on. The year is also celebrated interculturally with its different festivals. Educators with an intercultural background: Often educators with a migration background work in these institutions. In some places there is also an exchange of educators. For this purpose there are partnerships with daycare centers in other countries. Within this framework, educators come to visit for a few weeks or vice versa. This provides new impulses for pedagogical work and intercultural learning is demonstrated to the children.

Strengthening intercultural competencies at home

Many children today have to learn to move between different 'worlds' — whether, for example, due to switching between the parents' homes of separated parents or because of different values in families of origin and educational institutions. Intercultural differences are not always a matter of nationality — and so the question of intercultural competencies is not limited to childcare facilities and educators. Parents can also impart curiosity, openness and impartiality towards everything unknown in everyday family life by setting a good example. That also requires a healthy measure of self-reflection: How do I deal with things or situations that deviate from the 'normal'? Which situations unsettle me? Parents can also foster curiosity about the world and other cultures with appropriate toys, for example with a children's globe or a colorful world map, books, costumes or dolls with different skin tones.

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