“It Gave Me a New Insight!” Some Perspectives from Students in an International Course

Abstract

This article is based on a survey of an international class, covering a period of 8 years, each class consisting of 24-32 students form 12-16 different countries, mainly Europe, but also including some Asians, Africans and Americans. Through the course, the students are confronted with their own attitudes, exploring how they react to prejudices and biases. We focus on the concepts of multicultural identity and multicultural competence, challenging the students to express their own perspectives both on their own culture as well and on others, and how this affects their identity. The course also focuses on culture and worldview, as well as the identity-construction of children in a multicultural setting. The students also discuss their views on global challenges, and their own role in the future society. The survey, which is both quantitative and qualitative, therefore includes both cognitive as well as emotive elements, and is partly descriptive and partly analytical. We challenge the students to express how their attitudes, values, and convictions have been influenced by the course. The main issues mentioned are discussed in relation to theory, both the required readings of the course, as well as supplementary literature in the multicultural field.