Paper short abstract:

This paper explores how anthropological knowledge can be transferred into teacher education in order to generate fresh didactic approaches and practices as a response to challenges Europe faces such as diversification, (forced) migration, socio-economic imbalances and exclusionary politics.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents the preliminary results of the Erasmus+ Project "Translating Socio-Cultural Anthropology into Education" (2018-2020). TRANSCA acknowledges the new and ongoing societal challenges contemporary Europe deals with (diversification, immigration, refugee movements, socio-economic imbalances and exclusionary politics) and addresses the issue of social inclusion as a major priority.

Sociocultural anthropology offers a variety of holistic theoretical, methodological and pedagogical approaches that can provide teachers and education experts with tools for promoting awareness of (in)equality along various axes of social difference (i.e. origin, language, sexual identity, gender, social class). Teachers and education experts, on the other side, are essential, yet often disregarded, partners in translating anthropological knowledge. Their pedagogical practice is the prime node for communicating insights on socio-cultural diversity, cohesion and transformation, worldviews, the anthropocene, gender, inequality and other pressing contemporary issues anthropologists explore.

By integrating insights, methods, approaches and concepts from sociοcultural anthropological knowledge into teacher education, TRANSCA intends to build up innovative approaches to inclusive education and enhance the quality of teacher education. The paper will show how an international team of anthropologists (Austria, Denmark, Greece & Croatia) have developed a both historically/regionally grounded and adaptable set of contents, concepts, curricula and tools relevant for teacher's education and practice in contemporary Europe and beyond.