"But we're not a multicultural school": Local space, cultural difference and the challenges of intercultural education at one Australian secondary school

Abstract

This study seeks to better understand the situated challenges school teachers face in developing intercultural understanding through intercultural education. I explored the experiences of six teachers at one government high school over six months to examine the ways cultural difference was constructed in classrooms, curriculum and through social relations. This thesis contributes to an understanding of how intercultural work is shaped by local relations between culturally diverse peoples. I argue for an approach to intercultural education that does more than raise awareness about cultural diversity and engages, rather than shies away from the complexities and ambiguities of intercultural relations.