Welcome Refugees! The Use of Cultural Heritage to Teach Democratic Values

Abstract

The main aim of this research is to analyze the implementation of a teaching unit, based on cultural heritage education, to teach democratic values among a group of migrants and refugees in Spain. An educational experiment was proposed consisting of four activities based on the Islamic heritage of the Region of Murcia. For data collection purposes, the researchers designed a pre-test and post-test instrument with 13 items divided into 3 sections (social values, democratic values, and cultural values). The analytical process was performed using the statistical package SPSS v 24. The post-test results show a higher degree of identification with the host country, shared democratic values between refugees and the host country, a better understanding of democratic participation and, finally, a good degree of knowledge about the cultural past of Spain and the Region of Murcia. In conclusion, refugees and newcomers feel more integrated and identified with the host country when they are aware of the shared past between Islam and Christianity in the south of Spain.