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the perspective of the education for all in the spirit of acknowledging the differences existing
within a society.
Intercultural education is a dimension of education in terms of worldwide coverage
(next to other forms of education: for sustainable development, for human rights, for peace,
for environmental respect and protection) that rely on:
• Democratic values: liberty, justice, equality, peace;
• Cross cultural values: pluralism, tolerance, openness towards the others,
responsibility;
• Values of opening towards the world: solidarity, cooperation and involvement.
The term of intercultural education is a developing concept, approached in scientific
events for about one decade. The research targeted particularly the identification of the means
for socio-educational integration requested by an increasing number of immigrant students.
3.1 Universe of the intercultural education
The intercultural education “targets education, to train people able to appreciate the
various cultures established within a traditional society and therefore to accept to evolve in
contact with these cultures so that this diversity becomes a positive element which to enrich
the cultural, social and economic life of the environment” (Chancy report, Cucos C.,
Education. Cultural and cross cultural dimensions, Polirom Press, Iasi, 2001).
The intercultural education “designates any systematic effort aiming to develop in
the members of the majoritary groups and in the members of the minoritary groups:
• A better knowledge of the state of culture in modern societies;
• An increased capacity of communication between persons of different cultures;
• Attitudes better adapted to the context of the different cultures and groups within a
given society, thanks, particularly to a better understanding of the psycho-social
mechanisms and of the socio-political factors susceptible to control xenophobia and
racism;
• An increased capacity to participate in the social, interaction creator of the
identities and common humanity.” (Fernard Ouellet – Sherbrooke University; Cucos
C., Education. Cultural and cross cultural dimensions, Polirom Press, Iasi, 2001).
The intercultural education aims at a pedagogical approach of the cultural
differences, strategy that considers the spiritual specificities or other type of specificities
(gender difference, social difference or economic difference), avoiding as much as possible
the risks running from the unequal exchanges between cultures or, even worse, the trends of
culture atomization. The cross cultural approach (…) is not a new science, or a new
curriculum, rather it is a new methodology that seeks to integrate, within the interrogation on
the educational space data from psychology, anthropology, social sciences, politics, culture,
history” (Constantin Cucos).
Interculturalism involves understanding, appreciation and valorization of own culture,
to which the respect based on authentic information and on the construction of curiosity
towards the ethnic culture of the other add.
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