A Status Report on School Intercultural Mediation in Europe

Abstract

This paper provides results of an investigation into the research literature of intercultural mediation and how intercultural mediation has been implemented in Europe. To this end, a systematic quantitative literature review was conducted, which identified 77 conceptual and empirical manuscripts for this study. The review showed that little agreement exists on precisely what intercultural mediation is and how it should be structured and supported as a profession. The empirical works identified in this study can be characterized as ad hoc in nature, capitalizing on circumstances. The result is a patchwork of concepts and studies that collectively do not provide sufficient support or foundation for the use of intercultural mediation. In order to move the field forward, we argue that an immediate next step should be the development of a well-thought, systematic research program, grounded in the existing literature. A strong recommendation found in the literature is the use of evaluation to illustrate the value of intercultural mediation. Evaluation can provide data that could help those in authority make defensible decisions about policy support for intercultural mediation. Finally, considering the current situation in European schools, we propose that in the field of mediation the intercultural approach be implemented.