Politics of affect in the EU heritage policy discourse: an analysis of promotional videos of sites awarded with the European Heritage Label

Intercultural Dialogue in the European Education Policies

2020

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Concepts carry not only meanings but also affective associations and cultural connotations. In this chapter, we elaborate on the affective dimensions of European education policy documents. Many of the conceptual densities discussed in this book form affective peaks or rhetorical pinnacles that transmit the idea of intercultural dialogue-and the values attached to it-more effectively than the definitions of the concept alone are able to do. Drawing on theories of affect, we trace the affective transmission of ideals and values in the education policy documents and examine what kind of affects and affective connotations 'stick' to the concept of intercultural dialogue. We suggest affective rhetoric is used in European education policy documents to legitimize the commissioning bodies' attempts to advance intercultural dialogue.Policies function as 'actants' that are able to create webs of meanings, social and semantic spaces, and action. Policy rhetoric names, gives meanings to, and categorizes issues and explicitly states how these issues and related practices should be approached. Moreover, it is able to 'move' its recipients at a more intimate level. In this chapter, we discuss the affective associations, or 'stickiness' (e.g. Ahmed 2004a, b, c) evoked by the rhetorical use of the concepts related to intercultural dialogue in European

Section: Affectively and Effectively Transmitting European Ideals Andmentioning

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Section: Affectivity Of Intercultural Dialoguementioning

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Affective Rhetoric and ‘Sticky Concepts’ in European Education Policy Documents

Intercultural Dialogue in the European Education Policies

2020

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Data and Methods: A Conceptual Approach to Intercultural Dialogue

Intercultural Dialogue in the European Education Policies

2020

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In this chapter, we discuss the constructivist perspective on concepts and explain how we utilize this in our analysis of concepts used by the Council of Europe and the European Union in their education policy documents. In this perspective, political language and administrative documents not only describe the reality of administrated issues but also participate in their construction and meaning-making. The authors emphasize the performativity of language and discuss its significance for political rhetoric. Besides the theoretical and methodological frameworks, we describe the data and elaborate on the genre of education policy documents. We also provide an overview of the development, contents, and goals of European education policies in general and discuss their challenges as 'soft law' instruments based on non-enforceable recommendations and incentives.

Conclusions and Suggestions for Improving European Education Policies

Intercultural Dialogue in the European Education Policies

2020

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In the concluding chapter, we draw together the main arguments and results of the research, highlighting the differences and similarities between the education policy documents produced by the European Union and the Council of Europe. We also provide suggestions for improving future education policies to better encompass the concerns about the lack of dialogue in a diversified but also polarized Europe. Education policy documents dealing with intercultural dialogue act as important guidelines for tackling racism, chauvinism, xenophobia, homophobia, and other forms of prejudice in Europe. As policies function as 'actants' that create webs of meanings and action, it is crucial that policy documents are conceptually well formulated and clear and reflect today's societies. Lastly, we suggest new a conceptual means-cultural literacyto enhance and implement intercultural dialogue in education.