Exploring intersectional interculturality in contexts of cultural pluriformity

Drawing on Bourdieu’s work, this article outlines the notions of cultural pluriformity and intersectional interculturality. The concept of cultural pluriformity refers to the co-occurrence of different (inter)cultural resources within the same individual or field. The notion of intersectional interculturality highlights the importance of considering not only which individually embodied (inter)cultural resources are recognised and valued in educational fields, but also whose. In doing so, it acknowledges that individuals may be more or less self-conscious, assertive, and persistent when it comes to self-attributions in terms of socially and culturally relevant categories such as class, gender, race, nationality, citizenship status, religious affiliation, age, sexual orientation, health, and ability. The respective self-attributions may be more or less consistent with pertinent external attributions – including those expressed by other individuals as well as those materialised in the context of relevant cultural and intercultural objectifications and institutionalisations. The open-ended exploration of intersectional interculturality in contexts of cultural pluriformity offers opportunities for introspection, collaboration, and empathy, with a genuine potential for reflexive and dialogical intercultural competence development. Instead of treating ‘culture’ as some sort of essentialised explanatory force, it is jointly explored as a variable phenomenon, with an analytical focus on intra-individual, inter-individual, and structural factors.