Αντώνης Σαπουντζής, Modern racism and attitudes towards Intercultural Education: a synchronic study between first-year and fourth-year students of the Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood of the Democritus University of Thrace., Έρευνα στην Εκπαίδευση, 4|2015,

In this paper the way in which studying in a department where Intercultural Education curricula play a pivotal role may affect levels of Modern and Traditional Racism.  Undertaking a synchronic study, we aim to examine the attitudes on Intercultural Education, Modern and Traditional Racism of first-year and fourth-year university students who study at the Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood of the Democritus University of Thrace. Our basic hypothesis is that the studies in the department affect the levels of Modern and Traditional Racism and also the attitudes towards Intercultural Education. One hundred thirty-nine students participated in the study, filling-in a self-report questionnaire on the issue at hand. Results revealed that although there was a significant difference in attitudes towards Intercultural Education between first and fourth year students, there were no differences in attitudes in the Traditional and Modern Racism scales. It is argued that possible explanations for this paradoxical finding may include the fact that the University is not the only source according to which students formulate their opinions and also that the theories of Modern Racism may not be relevant in the Greek socio-cultural context since they were developed in quite different societal contexts.