Human Rights and Citizenship Education

This volume examines different conceptualizations of ‘human rights’, ‘citizenship’ and ‘interculturalism’, as well as their inter-relationships in different national contexts. This intersection, in its various combinations, is explored theoretically, pedagogically and practically, with the studies investigating whether certain human rights demands reveal patterns that are incompatible with citizenship and multiculturalist claims. Contributions also explore the theoretical and practical bases on which human rights, citizenship and intercultural education should be grounded, as well as how human rights, citizenship and intercultural education can join forces to make policy, practice and research stronger and more robust.

The issues explored in this volume continue to feature on policy agendas at local, national and international levels at a time when considerable changes are taking place within and across societies. Particularly in Europe, the current refugee and migration crisis complicates this situation further, creating new, complex challenges for countries and regions, including how to respond productively and justly to the migration of peoples; how to complement existing legal frameworks and modes of governance to face threats to social justice, security and social cohesion of political and civil societies; and how to develop new rights that increase participation in social and political life, especially in groups that are vulnerable and marginalized.

As shown here, however, these challenges provide unique opportunities to re-imagine the transformative potential of the intersection among intercultural, human rights and citizenship education in different situations and contexts.