The ethnography of peace education: Some lessons learned from Palestinian–Jewish integrated education in Israel
Sandole, D. (2008). In Handbook of conflict analysis and resolution (pp. 170-182). Routledge.
This article discusses the role of bilingual education in peacebuilding in Israel. The author conducted ethnographic field research at a local school in order to engage and participate in the bilingual education. He finds that this type of education empowers minority groups and supports coexistence and reconciliatory efforts. For instance, the teachers encouraged both Israeli Palestinian children to turn to their peers in the other group when help with either language was necessary. The author argues that the intergroup contact generally promotes intergroup acceptance. Bilingual education was also found to improve the diversity of the school, the local community and the Israeli society. The author also calls for related social and political changes to improve bilingual education in Israel.
Other entries in the library such as ‘Transrational Peacebuilding Education to Reduce Epistemic Violence’ and ‘Peace Education, International Trends’ discuss peace education in other contexts. This article’s focus on bilingual education contributes to a wider set of resources in the library on the peace education. It also discusses the role of languages in peace recovery from ethnical conflicts in broader, non-educational settings.