Intercultural mediation in school. The Spanish education system and growing cultural diversity

Abstract

In Spain intercultural mediation developed within the framework of interculturality fostered by the European Union and stimulated by the arrival of foreign-origin populations. This has meant rethinking the policies and actions implemented to incorporate this new population. The schools, which reflect the social reality, have gradually responded to the needs that have been detected. Thus, within inclusiveness, interculturality and intercultural education, it was believed that the intercultural mediator was a figure (whether professional or natural) whose work could improve intercultural relations. From a survey of representatives of management teams (from 1,730 Spanish primary schools), the extent to which intercultural mediation are used and the functions attributed. The results indicate that intercultural mediation has not been consolidated, but competes with other professional profiles for its own field of intervention. Furthermore, although the mediators are positively valued, their action is mainly focused on conflict resolution.

This work was supported by the R+D+i projects “Research Challenges” corresponding to the State Program for R+D+i Oriented to the Challenges of Society, within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2017-2020 (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, resolution CSO2017-84872-R).