Intercultural space as transitional space: Movements, transformations and dialectical relations

Abstract

This article reports on research into an intervention called a 'Culture Laboratory', based on a generic 'Change Laboratory' method within developmental work research and cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). Within the Culture Laboratory, transitions can be viewed as movements, transformations and reciprocal relations, undertaken as participants attempt to improve their training in a process of observing, comparing and creating. The 17 participants in this study were students from eight different countries of origin, their teachers, other school staff and researchers. Experiences from this study would suggest that transitions are not outright movements that follow a certain path, but are rather complicated back-and-forth movements and tension-rich in-between spaces, which can enrich development and learning through creative actions.