Page 49 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 5-6: Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Conflicting Diversity, eds. Mitja Sardoč and Tomaž Deželan
P. 49
d. gereluk and c.-a. titus ■ how schools can reduce youth radicalization
the radicalized group’s mandate. Giving voice to students – simply, letting
students talk about such issues – arguably is a strong determinant of cre-
ating more openness for political engagement and deliberation (McAvoy
and Hess, 2013).
This leads to the final point. That when students can see themselves
as part of the conversation, not silenced, marginalized or oppressed, there
is a greater chance that those students will not feel hopeless, destitute, and
desperate. For those students who do not have a sense of hope or opti-
mism, where they do not see themselves as part of broader society, there
is greater chance that radicalized groups can seduce and recruit based on
their vulnerabilities and emotional burden that they carry. A call for em-
pathy and inclusion, while reconciling very different worldviews, may pro-
vide an opening to create some cautious optimism whereby the individual
can see themselves as living out a flourishing life rather than a life of des-
peration and despondency. In this regard, schools have a great role to play
in ensuring that students see their rightful place among their peers in this
community. For example, programs that physically remove individuals
into targeted programs (for instance, English Language Learners for refu-
gee students) on the one hand may provide targeted support for language
skills; unintentionally, however, the language program may physically re-
move students who do not have the opportunities to meet other students
in the school, and to have such opportunities for deliberation, belonging,
or a sense of community. It is a missed opportunity for both the refugee
students who do not become enculturated with other students from di-
verse backgrounds; it is also a missed opportunity for those students who
may have stereotypes of refugee students, or worse, do not see them at all
and are metaphorically ‘invisible’ to the school population. The mecha-
nisms to create substantive opportunities for support and belonging to a
range of communities in and beyond the school are critical to ensure that
individuals who may feel on the periphery feel otherwise. When individ-
uals see opportunities that they can lead fulfilling lives beyond the walls
of the school, then there is more optimism that the future is worth pur-
suing for oneself. When little future opportunity exists, and students re-
main isolated from their peers and their communities, radicalized groups
see the opportunity to create a collective identity that is currently lacking
in that individual.
Conclusion
We began this article with some indicators of why youth may turn to
radicalized groups. And while these indicators are not definitive or set,
they suggest that the indicators are fairly mundane and normal, and do
47
the radicalized group’s mandate. Giving voice to students – simply, letting
students talk about such issues – arguably is a strong determinant of cre-
ating more openness for political engagement and deliberation (McAvoy
and Hess, 2013).
This leads to the final point. That when students can see themselves
as part of the conversation, not silenced, marginalized or oppressed, there
is a greater chance that those students will not feel hopeless, destitute, and
desperate. For those students who do not have a sense of hope or opti-
mism, where they do not see themselves as part of broader society, there
is greater chance that radicalized groups can seduce and recruit based on
their vulnerabilities and emotional burden that they carry. A call for em-
pathy and inclusion, while reconciling very different worldviews, may pro-
vide an opening to create some cautious optimism whereby the individual
can see themselves as living out a flourishing life rather than a life of des-
peration and despondency. In this regard, schools have a great role to play
in ensuring that students see their rightful place among their peers in this
community. For example, programs that physically remove individuals
into targeted programs (for instance, English Language Learners for refu-
gee students) on the one hand may provide targeted support for language
skills; unintentionally, however, the language program may physically re-
move students who do not have the opportunities to meet other students
in the school, and to have such opportunities for deliberation, belonging,
or a sense of community. It is a missed opportunity for both the refugee
students who do not become enculturated with other students from di-
verse backgrounds; it is also a missed opportunity for those students who
may have stereotypes of refugee students, or worse, do not see them at all
and are metaphorically ‘invisible’ to the school population. The mecha-
nisms to create substantive opportunities for support and belonging to a
range of communities in and beyond the school are critical to ensure that
individuals who may feel on the periphery feel otherwise. When individ-
uals see opportunities that they can lead fulfilling lives beyond the walls
of the school, then there is more optimism that the future is worth pur-
suing for oneself. When little future opportunity exists, and students re-
main isolated from their peers and their communities, radicalized groups
see the opportunity to create a collective identity that is currently lacking
in that individual.
Conclusion
We began this article with some indicators of why youth may turn to
radicalized groups. And while these indicators are not definitive or set,
they suggest that the indicators are fairly mundane and normal, and do
47
