The TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies is pleased to announce its fourteenth seminar in the 2025 series, entitled “Recognition and Identity: Experiences of Boys with Cross-Cultural Backgrounds in Everyday School Life”

The seminar will be presented by Ms. Sairan Marofi, Assistant Professor and PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Education, Department of Pedagogy, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Campus Lillehammer).

This seminar is based on Ms. Marofi’s master’s research, which explores the concept of recognition among cross-cultural boys in schools. The study investigates how boys with cross-cultural backgrounds experience recognition and belonging in their everyday school life.

Drawing on Axel Honneth’s three spheres of recognition — love, rights, and solidarity — as well as Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of cultural capital, identity, and multicultural pedagogy, the research examines the complex dynamics that shape the participants’ school experiences. Through individual interviews with cross-cultural boys, the study highlights how language and cultural background serve both as resources and challenges in school settings.

The findings reveal that schools play a crucial role in how these students navigate between different cultural identities. Moreover, the research demonstrates that the recognition of students’ cultural backgrounds contributes to their sense of belonging and overall well-being within the educational environment.

The seminar will be moderated by Agiri Esmailnazhad, member of the Editorial board of TISHK-Magazine.

The seminar will take place on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 18:00 (Berlin time) and will be held in Kurdish. The session will include a 10-minute introduction, a 30-minute presentation, a 25-minute Q&A session, and a 10-minute panel discussion and concluding remarks.

 Participants can join via Zoom using the provided link.

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