Abstract
The German integration programme teaches language and knowledge about Germany to newcomers and those with migration backgrounds. This article analyses the programme and course content from a human rights education (HRE) perspective to tease out some of the inherent contradiction between teaching ‘German values’, purported to be one of the integration programme’s goals, and teaching human rights. Incorporating HRE principles into the programme will arguably benefit learners by avoiding some of this inherent bias as well as teaching learners to challenge societal injustice. The article explores the programme structure and goals, asking what message(s) it conveys. It delves into a content analysis of the ‘Politics in a Democracy’ chapter of 100 Stunden Deutschland, focusing on how human rights and discrimination are depicted. As a result of this analysis, recommendations are developed that suggest how the orientation course specifically and the integration programme more broadly can ensure greater consistency with HRE principles.
Highlights
This article seeks to analyse the orientation course from a human rights education (HRE) perspective
Numerous western European states have enacted some form of integration programme since the late 1990s, as notions of how to manage immigration were reconsidered and governments were challenged to address this complex task
Following the Second World War, West Germany made strenuous efforts to establish its identity as a modern, liberal society, one which was a place of refuge for the persecuted (Schönwälder & Triadafilopoulos, 2006)
Summary
This article seeks to analyse the orientation course from a human rights education (HRE) perspective. By analysing the courses from an HRE perspective, one can identify how the courses are constructed to convey culturally specific versus universal norms and values, as well as if and how they empower learners to challenge the bias of the majority society.
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