International Week in a Norwegian School. A Qualitative Study of the Participant Perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article explores an international week in a Norwegian primary school from the perspective of the different participants. Such international weeks are typically organized in connection with the United Nations Day, to contribute towards the school’s aims of inclusion and social justice. Whereas research literature has been critical towards such weeks, using terms such as “exotification” and “hall-way multiculturalism,” there has been little research on international weeks from the participants’ perspectives. This qualitative case study of a single week both confirms and challenges the research literature’s critical stance. On the one hand, these weeks may seem to be only “happenings”; on the other hand, they potentially promote critical reflection about cultural identities, connecting schools and local communities.