<Articles>Acknowledging the Struggle of the Other School as a Milieu for Mutual Inclusion

Abstract

In this paper I intend to discuss possibilities for children to mutually acknowledge each other’s struggles at school and, with this, promote opportunities for inclusion. I argue that the school can be acknowledged as a milieu where various encounters take place, and these encounters can turn into educative practices if children are encouraged to acknowledge each other’s struggles. I will discuss some aspects of the struggle which students in the West may face through what Nietzsche called “nihilism, ” that has a more existential bearing. I will explain some aspects of this argument through some scenes from the film This is England. Additionally, I will discuss other aspects of acknowledging students’ mutual struggles by shared experiences, such as personal narratives, similar historical facts, or similar life events. These aspects will be explored using scenes from the film Shoplifters. I aim to conclude that struggle and suffering are part of the human condition and experienced in some way by everyone. Hence it could be a kind of common ground which schools could turn into educative practices for mutual acknowledgement and inclusion of students.