What Do We Do with a Difference? France and the Debate over Headscarves in Schools

The debate in France over the wearing of veils by Islamic girls in schools has served for nearly two decades as a nexus for emotional controversy and debate.Religion and secularism in public schools. Immigration and assimilation. Gender and ethnicity. Participation in democracy and public debate. Rapid social change and cherished cultural traditions. Personal, collective, and national identities.

Using a unique mix of scholarly insights, first-person stories, interviews with school-age students, plus multimedia resources and examples from popular culture, What Do We Do with a Difference? uses that national debate as a way to develop an educational framework for integration, tolerance, and cultural acceptance.

 Civic Dilemmas: Religion, Migration, and Belonging