Abstract
International-mindedness is a strategy employed by international schools (IS) to create environments successfully promoting social justice, cultural diversity, and tolerance. The composition of the student body forces accommodation and assimilation of multiple cultures, backgrounds, and languages into one location or contact zone. The purpose of the study is to understand how IS navigate, manage, and lead educators and students from different races, genders, religions, and socioeconomic statuses by promoting equity and creating an environment with zero tolerance for discrimination. However, social justice gaps in education in general still exist, and practical applications and strategies to embrace diversity and equalize the marginalized are lacking. This chapter provides strategies as to how educators worldwide can benefit from approaches used by IS for social justice and tangible strategies used by IS to promote ethical-international-mindedness and decrease discrimination.
TopResearch Background
The research used as the background for this chapter provides insight into perceptions by International School educators and issues they face. Multiple examples across several countries demonstrate how IS adapt, manage, and navigate diversity and culture to create successful schools and provide an equitable education. This study examined cultural dynamics that affect educators in IS, relative to both intrinsic and extrinsic cultural factors that could affect the quality of education. For the purposes of this paper, it is important to define intrinsic and extrinsic factors since they both impact how IS combat inequity, regardless of country. Intrinsic, or internal, factors include race, gender, religion, and socioeconomic status (SES). Extrinsic, or external factors include HC governance, policies, law, and finance. IS adapt, intersect, and incorporate diversity and cultural norms based on HC expectations and the influences of student residents from across the globe.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Ethical-International-Mindedness: A deeper dive into International-Mindedness, promoting tolerance and acceptance of all people, particularly those of lower socio-economic status.
Cultural Norms: An acceptable form of behavior in a country or region.
Intersectionality: Idea that a person can belong to two or more marginalized groups.
Host Country: The location in which an International School resides, outside of the home or mother country.
International-Elite-Mindedness: International-Mindedness, excluding tolerance and acceptance of people of lower socio-economic status.
Cultural identity: The originating culture in which a person most closely aligns themselves.
International Schools (IS): A school for international students that is housed in a country that is either part of the host country or is affiliated with a country from abroad.