The intercultural approach as a Martial Art: Between Ethics and Pragmatism in the field
As a sociologist and intercultural trainer, Manon Binet has worked for several years with professionals in legal youth protection, social and socio-medical care settings (such as IMEs and MAS), with unaccompanied minors, in local authorities, and in hospitals. Drawing on these experiences, this conference will use situations encountered in the field to analyse the intercultural dynamics at play and develop transferable analytical tools.
Our aim here is twofold. First, to demonstrate that the intercultural approach can be used as a methodological framework to inform professional decision-making. Second, to emphasise that its application requires rigorous ethics, taking into account contexts and social relations, rather than a normative or moralistic approach.
The intercultural approach does not focus only on national or ethnic differences. It involves the interplay of multiple dimensions: gender, social class, generation, migration trajectories, territories, and professional socialisation. For example, supporting a young, urban, privileged Georgian does not call upon the same reference points or levers as supporting a rural, retired former factory worker from the same country—even though both share the same nationality. It is in these nuances that professional adjustments are made.
We will work with real-life situations to test a concrete, adaptable, and demanding approach. The focus will not be on accumulating concepts, but on how to embed them in practice.
Finally, this presentation will underline the complementarity of academic knowledge and active inclusive pedagogy. The former provides robust theoretical frameworks; the latter facilitates their appropriation by professionals. The challenge is to break down silos so that knowledge can be mobilised and activated with rigor.
As a sociologist and intercultural trainer, Manon Binet has worked for several years with professionals in legal youth protection, social and socio-medical care settings (such as IMEs and MAS), with unaccompanied minors, in local authorities, and in hospitals. Drawing on these experiences, this conference will use situations encountered in the field to analyse the intercultural dynamics at play and develop transferable analytical tools.
Our aim here is twofold. First, to demonstrate that the intercultural approach can be used as a methodological framework to inform professional decision-making. Second, to emphasise that its application requires rigorous ethics, taking into account contexts and social relations, rather than a normative or moralistic approach.
The intercultural approach does not focus only on national or ethnic differences. It involves the interplay of multiple dimensions: gender, social class, generation, migration trajectories, territories, and professional socialisation. For example, supporting a young, urban, privileged Georgian does not call upon the same reference points or levers as supporting a rural, retired former factory worker from the same country—even though both share the same nationality. It is in these nuances that professional adjustments are made.
We will work with real-life situations to test a concrete, adaptable, and demanding approach. The focus will not be on accumulating concepts, but on how to embed them in practice.
Finally, this presentation will underline the complementarity of academic knowledge and active inclusive pedagogy. The former provides robust theoretical frameworks; the latter facilitates their appropriation by professionals. The challenge is to break down silos so that knowledge can be mobilised and activated with rigor.