Mistrust and trust in the exclusion or inclusion of young refugees.

What is it about?

Drawing on the thinking of Knud Ejler Løgstrup (1905–1981), this article examines the place of mistrust and trust in the exclusion or inclusion of young refugees. Mistrust directed towards refugees takes an entirely depersonalised form when it results from exclusionary processes that situate unique persons within generalised categories. Refugees themselves can come to hold all authority figures, including educators, in suspicion. If schools are to counter this type of mistrust, they will need to become places that are worthy of the trust of young refugees. Paramount here is the creation of inclusive and trusting school cultures where all children are listened to and welcomed as distinct contributors to the life of their schools.

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