CURRICULUM VITAE

CURRICULUM VITAE
NIKOLAOS F. GOUSGOUNIS

Date of birth: 22-02-1952
Site of birth: Thessaloniki, Greece
E-mail address: nikos2202@gmail.com
Blog: http://nikos2202.blogspot.com/

STUDIES:
Ø 1970-1975 - Biological Faculty, University of Athens
BACHELOR OF BIOLOGY

Ø 1975-1977 - Faculty of Social Anthropology,
University of Paris VII
MAITRISE SPECIALISEE DE ETHNOLOGIE

Ø 1977-1979 - Faculty of Sociology
University of Paris V
MAITRISE SPECIALISEE DE SOCIOLOGIE

Ø 1977-1978 - Faculty of Social Anthropology
University of Paris VII
D.E.A. d`ETHNOLOGIE

Ø 1978-1979 - Faculty of Sociology
University of Paris VII
D.E.A. de SOCIOLOGIE DE LA CONNAISSANCE

Ø 1979-1980 - Faculty of Languages and Civilizations
University of Paris III (Nouvelle Sorbonne)
D.E.A. en LANGUES ET CIVILISATIONS
BALCANIQUES

Ø 1979-1980 - Faculty of Social Anthropology
University of Paris VII
DOCTORAT d`ETHNOLOGIE
(Mention tres bien)

FOREIGN LANGUAGES:

English
French
Russian
Italian

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
1986-1991 - Lecturer at the Superior School of Home Economics of Athens
Objects:
· Introduction to Sociology
· Rural Sociology
· Sociology of Family

1988-1989 - Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Sociology, University of Crete, Rethemnon
Object:
· Sociological Theory

1989-1990 - Professor at the National Superior School of Tourism, Athens
Object:
· Cultural Anthropology

1990-1993 - Many seminars sponsored by EC related to
Cultural Policy and Sociology of Education held in Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Lavrion, Delphes, Larissa

o Invitation for a series of lectures about Family and Education Alienation, Tartu University, Estonia, for the summer 1996

o Lecturing in Romania, summer 1998, 2000 and 2007


ACTUAL INTERESTS
Research and teaching interests are in Youth Sexual Alienation, Youth Anomie, Education topics with an emphasis in the cultural parameters of Multicultural Education, Sociological Theory and Cultural Anthropology

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
1989-1992: Participation in two National Research Programs sponsored by the Technological Institute of Athens, related to the Sexuality of Adolescence and Social impacts of AIDS;
1992-1994: Senior Researcher in a Research Program sponsored by the Greek Ministry of Technology, related to Youth Subcultures and Hooliganism;
1991-1992: “Professional Orientation of Youth” in cooperation with students of Superior School of Home Economics and the Pedagogical Institute of Athens;
1994-1995: Inquiries in the secondary public schools of Athens about media influence and attitudes towards the meaning of Education and Alienation in Education and Family;
1996-1998 Recent activities carry on on-line education systems and virtual communities in a “learning society” via Internet. Creation of a relative discussion list.
1998-2000 Undertaking of a comparative research program sponsored by European Union on Multicultural Teacher Education. Participating countries: UK, Finland, Germany, France, Greece and Israel.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
1. Founding member of the Hellenic Sociological Association 1983, responsible for the writing of its History insofar under the auspices of a comparative research program organized by the RC 08 of ISA History of Sociology. Voted Member of this Association Executive Board since 1989. Responsible for Congresses activity at the period 1989-1991 and Secretary for the periods 1991-1993 and 1993-1995.
2. a/ member of ISA (International Sociological Association) since 1990
b/member of ISA Research Committee 06 Sociology of Family
c/member of ISA Research Committee 36 Sociology of Alienation
d/member of ISA Research Committee 04 Sociology of Education
e/member of ISA Working Group 03 Sociology of Childhood

3. Founding member of ESA (European Sociological Association) since 1992; responsible for the Research Network for the Sociology of Education since 1995. Also member of the committees of Youth and Communication of ESA.
4. Member of International advisory board and reviewer of three sociological Journals:
a. Sociological Analysis (USA)
b. Journal of Social Sciences (India) (in English)
c. Paideusis (Romania) (Electronic Journal in English)
5. Member of the expert team of the Council of Europe for the evaluation of the Dutch National Report on Youth Policy, since May 1998

PAPER PRESENTATIONS IN CONFERENCES AND CONGRESSES

1. “Postproblems of descentralization relative to the mass and popular communications” (in Greek) in the first national conference of sociology organized by Greek Sociological Association in Athens. Dec 16-20, 1984;
2. “Le sacre et le pouvoir” (“The Holy and the Power”) ( in French) in the first World Conference of Popular Art, Larissa, July 1987;
3. “Hooliganism and Social Change” (in Greek) in the first international Conference for the “Violence and Disorder” Athens, Jan 1989
4. “Comparative Study of attitudes of Athenians and habitants of West Attica related to the fear of infection of their relatives of AIDS”. In the II National Conference of AIDS in Thessaloniki, March 1990 (in Greek).
5. “An Analysis of sexual behavior and relative attitudes of young Athenians 15-19 years old concerning the creation of their sexual identity” with J.Chliaoutakis in XII World Congress of Sociology, Madrid, July 1990 (RC 34 Youth) (in English)
6,7 a. “Attitudes and behavior of Athenians related to AIDS”
b. “Comparative Study of attitudes and behavior of Athenians related to AIDS after two Health interventions” in the third National Conference of AIDS, Athens, March 1991 (in Greek)
8,9 a. “Equality sexual and contraceptive behavior of Youth”
b. “Comparative sexual and contraceptive behavior of Youth” in Conference of Gender Relations, Athens, April 1991 (in Greek)
10. “Verification of the equality of two sexes related to the premarital sexual behavior” in the International readings of young sociologists, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 1991 (In English)
11,12 a.”Educational inequalities and the transmission of cultural capital in Greece”
b. “The multidimensional impact of Communication of the Greek educational System” in the first European conference of Sociology in Vienna, August 1992 (in English)
13. “Involuntary premarital pregnancy of adolescents in Athens”,
in the II International Congress of the European Society of Contraception, Athens, May 1992 (in English)
14,15,16,17 a. Parents’ influence on adolescents’ sexual behavior and attitudes in Greece
b. Inequalities of Greek educational system and students` alienation
c. A comparison between English and Greek football fans
d. Violence and order
presented in the XIII World Congress of Sociology, Bielefeld, Germany, July 1994
18. “Differences in the degree of alienation between male and female adolescents”, presented in the II European Conference of Sociology in Budapest, August-September, 1995 (in English)
19. “The river Acheloos’ diversion scheme” in International NATO Workshop of Rehabilitation of Water Resource Systems, Moscow, October, 1995 (in English);
20. “The role of the Greek state in the organization and transformation of Sociology as a new lesson in Greek school Curricula” in the Conference of ISA, RC 05 Sociology of Education in Jerusalem, Dec 1995 (in English)
21. Organizer of a session and presentation of a paper by the title “Alienation in family and education” in the International Conference “Cross-roads in Cultural Studies” in Tampere, Finland, July 1-4, 1996, (in English)
22,23,24 a. The meaning of education and people`s learning experiences
b. The influence of media culture to the life of Greek children
c. The vision of the other in Greek touristic settings
presented in the first “Cross-roads in Cultural Studies” Conference in Tampere, Finland, July, 1-4, 1996 (in English)
25. “Touristic cosmopolitanism” in the interim conference of RC 50 of ISA, Touristic Paradigms, in Jyvaskyla, Finland, 4-7 July, 1996.
26,27,28 a. “Education in the postmodern cross-roads. Ethics, values, identity formation and alienation”
b. “Anomie and Alienation; Violence and Knowledge in youth subcultures”
c. “Internet lists: New communication values and habits in search of a new “communication identity”
presented in the third European Conference of Sociology in Essex, UK, August 27-30, 1997
29. Organizer and convenor of three sessions related to the Alienation theory and Communication
(RC 36, 50 and 14) in the XIV World Congress of Sociology of the International Sociological Association in Montreal, 26-31/7/98
30,31,32,33,34 a. The concept of alienation under its new virtual reality;
b. The challenge of the discussion lists on the internet and the production of social knowledge;
c. Multicultural cosmopolitanism
d. The sacred and the ecstatic as transgressing factors of our postmodern profanity;
e. Anastenaria: sacrificial ecstatic firewalking in contemporary Thrace and Greek Macedonia
presented in the XIV World Congress of Sociology of the International Sociological Association in Montreal, July 26-31, 1998
35,36,37,38. Participation in 4 conferences in Sofia in 1998, 2000,2002,2007 with presentations of papers
39,40,41,42 a. Inequalities of the Greek educational system and students alienation
b.Cosmopolitanism as a way of Transdisciplinarity: Approach of the Transsociological Other.
c. Cosmopolitanism as the remedy of postmodernised Globalisation
d. Perspectives and realities of the Multicultural Education in Greece. The role of the Greek Youth.

Presented in the 37th World Congress of IIS in Stockholm, Sweden, July 5-9 ,2005.

PUBLICATIONS

1. “Mass Media of Communication and Mass Culture” in “Military Review”, October, 1985 (in Greek)
2. Book Criticism on three recent ethnological books in EKKE Review” 1986, No.64 (in Greek)
3. “Boundaries in Social Sciences” in “New Sociology”, March 1989 (in Greek)
4. “An Analysis of sexual behavior” in “Mladestvo Problemi” 1990, Warsawa (in Polish)
5. “The new Family Legislation and its Social Impacts” in Anniversary of Superior School of Home Economics, Athens, June 1991 (in Greek)
6. “Cultural Anthropology”, Edition of National Organization of Tourism based on lectures given during the year 1989-1990 to its School of Guides, Athens, 1990, page 119 (in Greek)
7. “Social study of social acceptance of people infected with HIV virus” in “Greek Review of Dermatology and Venerology” No.3, 1991 (in Greek)
8. “XII World Congress of Sociology 1990. Judgements and evaluations” in “Social Science tribune” No.3, June 1991 (in Greek)
9. “An analysis of the sexual behavior of young residents of Athens related to their eventual risk of their sexual identity” with J.Chliaoutakis in EKKE Review, No 79, 1991 (in Greek)
10. 11. Two articles about “Attitudes and behavior of habitants of Athens related to their eventual risk of HIV infection”, with J.Chliaoutakis et al. in “Military Medical Review” vol 25,4 July 1991(in Greek)
12. “Premarital sexual and contraceptive behavior” with J.Chliaoutakis in “Social Science Tribune”, No.6, Dec 1991(in Greek)
13. “Ecological Movements”, article in Encyclopedia Hydria, Athens 1992 (in Greek)
14. “Knowledge and Attitudes about AIDS of residents of greater Athens” with J.Chaoutakis et. al. in “Social Science and Medicine” vol 37, No.1, pp 77-83, Feb 1993 (in English)
15. “Educational Inequalities and transmission of Cultural Capital in Greece” in Anniversary of Superior School of Home Economics, Athens, June 1993 (in English)
16. “On Motivation and Values” in Anniversary of Superior School of Home Economics, Athens, June, 1993 (in Greek)
17. “Sociology of Education” in “Antitetradia tis Ekpaideusis”, Feb. 1994 (in Greek).
18. “Violence and Order in Youth Subcultures”, a comparison between English and Greek young football fans related to their behavior during the game and every-day life (in the Serbian Journal “Sosioloski Pregled” vol. XXVIII 1994) (in English)
19. Parents’ influence on adolescent sexual behavior and attitudes in Greece (in the collective volume “Childhood and Social Order” Manak Publishers, March 1996
20. “Socio-economic and legal aspects of the river Acheloos diversion project for rehabilitation for water resources” in D.P.Loucks(ed): “Restoration of degraded rivers”. Challenges, issues and experiences” pp.163-171, Kluwer, Amsterdam, 1998 (in English)
21. “Youth policy in the Netherlands”, a report by an international expert group appointed by the Council of Europe, with Carl Nissen (Denmark), Chairperson. Annette Scerri (Malta), Nikos Gousgounis( Greece) and Peter-Emil Mitev (Bulgaria). Council of Europe Monographies, Strasbourg, October, 1998
22. “Anomie and Alienation: Violence and Knowledge in youth subcultures” in Mitev. P.E.ed.”Balkan Youth and Perception of the Other” Sofia, June 2000 (in English)
23. “Multicultural Cosmopolitanism in Egypt`s culture” in “Habarshi Vestnik” Official Journal of the Kazakstan National University Al Farabi No.1 (15) pp 148-154, Akma Ata (in English).
24. “Settlement Policy in Greece and the Education of Immigrants” in Pittkanen et.al. Eds. “Immigration, Settlement Policies and Current Challenges to Education” London, Falmer Press, Feb. 2001
25. “Perspectives and Realities of Multicultural Education in Greece” in “Culture of Peace and the Balcan Youth”, pp 26-83, Ed. By P.E.Mitev and J.Riordan, Imir Sofia, 2002
26. “Information Technology creates Allophobia. How to eliminate it”, in M.K.Bhasin “Anthropology: Trends and Applications”, pp 233-247, Kamla Raj. Ed. Delhi 2002
27. “The transgressing character of the sacred in the double ritual of Anastenaria” in “Studies of Tribes and Tribals” vol.1, Num 2, pp 127-140, Delhi, Dec.2003.
28. “Maturity and sensibilisation as presuppositions for a Peace conception in Youth” in “Towards non-violence and dialogue culture in South-East Europe.” Pp 89-122 Iztok Zapad Sofia 2004(in English).
29. Transgrecia na sakralnoto v’ obreda Anastenaria” in Bulgarski Folklor Vol 4 2005 pp 92-111 Sofia
( in Bulgarian).
30. “Inequalities of the Greek educational system and students’ alienation” in the collective volume “Schools in the frontiers of Modernity” Cambridge Press, Cambridge 2006
31. “The European dimension of Education” ( under preparation in English) a lecture in a conference in Sofia in May 2007

GREEK MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME

GREEK MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
NIKOLAOS GOUSGOUNIS

In Greece, a mono-cultural and mono-linguistic educational policy is still the dominant model in most of the cases concerning returning Greeks as well as migrants of foreign origin. The aim of the Greek State is to confront and deal with increasing problems caused by foreigners who are living and working legally or illegally, and who tend to bring their families once their financial condition allows it. The general inclination is to provide immigrants with an education that respects their social, religious, and cultural particularities in combination with an essential Greek language competence. This effort started in Greece not because of increased number of foreigners since 1990, but mainly because of the large number of Greeks returning from abroad after extended periods of residence. Most of them have practically lost their competence in the Greek language.

All the Greek teacher trainees expressed their contribution to the multicultural policy of the country in both rounds of interviews. Cultural diversity was mostly considered as a moral but also social challenge. Hence, students emphasised the positive effects of cultural diversity on the Greek population, such as an increased multicultural sensibilisation in education and society and opportunities for learning from one another in the everyday co-existence. They insisted on the possibility of the Greek society to "catch the train " of the new era through the fruitful cooperation of native Greeks with the "interesting Others". Currently, however, the public opinion in Greece manipulated greatly by mass media is not optimistic and considers the massive presence of foreign pupils in the Greek schools as a priori threat for Greek society.
The meaning of the term ‘multicultural education’ was known only by few students (3) who chose the relative lesson among the items taught in the pedagogical and pre-elementary school faculties at the University of Athens. The rest of the 17 students had no chance to select this lesson with the exception of three more undergraduates of pre-elementary education (2) and pedagogics (1) who could choose it in the coming years of their studies. As pupils, these students had attended schools that had not minoritarian or immigrant pupils. Consequently they had no experience or knowledge to discuss items such as how the language and the culture of the immigrants could be taught. For this reason the aim of the students in the OE programme was not the acquirement of qualifications relative to the problem since most of them ignored its very existence, but their information for topics of education related to the general racist phenomena that increases in the Greek society as is described mainly by the media. Also, a second important aim was to communicate with foreign students interested in the analogue topics and to exchange opinions and to understand better their motives as a reflexion of their cultures.

The research results show that Greek trainees know foreign cultures quite well. They knew what is the major foreign ethnic group in Greece fairly good ( 93 %) but they did not know that well the percentage of population precising themselves as non-Greeks ( 47%), and even less familiar they were with the amount of Greek population after the 1991 census (42%). Male student teachers were better informed than females in general, and the OE students were better informed on the questions concerning minorities and foreigners. Paradoxically, however, the OE trainees knew less than the control group the exact population of Greece. That indicates that sensibilisation towards cultural diversity, as it happened to the 20 OE trainees, gave positive results concerning knowledge on national minorities.

Concerning the questions related labour abroad and co-labour or games with foreigners, data show that the students have been socialised with foreigners more in Greece than abroad. Male respondents were in a better stand than females in general, and the OE students were better in all three relative questions. That proves that knowledge acquired from everyday life, work or studying abroad was better among the OE trainees than in the case of other students, and maybe this could help them in further sensibilisation after their return in matters concerning the "vision of the others".

According to the research results, the self-confidence of Greek students increased during the OE course. This result implies that communication is an important qualitative and not only the quantity of acquired information.

During the OE course, the students learned how to evaluate racism and xenophobia problems in learning environments, like in a school class, and how to invent practical ways of overpassing problems such as class conflicts and class organisation. After noticing some examples of good adaptation and integration of immigrant pupils in the class, they became more optimistic than before about the future of multicultural education and its results to the aim of helping different cultural backgrounds to coexist and to communicate with no prejudices and stereotypes.

The trainees recognised a number of problems arising from the coexistence of multiple ethnic groups but seemed to tolerate the cohabitation even in the case of members of distinct ethnic groups and different religions. In conclusion, the OE students were aware of their prejudices and ethnic stereotypes as transmitted through the educational system but hoped that the coming era of better human communication and multicultural contacts will enable them to overpass these standards. Also they were hopeful that education will change its views practically because of the unavoidable "evasion" of foreigners in the country. No one expressed a wish for separation or ghettoisation of the newcomers, on the contrary, all were hopeful that the dynamic hosmosis of native population with foreigners would be beneficial for both. This spirit of internationalisation highly promoted by the so-called "globalisation" as is propagated by the media, takes rather the dimensions of a cultural phenomenon in the minds of the students representing the younger generation and not of the financial consequences of such a cohabitation.

The Greek educational system ought to turn from its “introvert” orientation to a more “extravert” one. “The European dimension in education” insists on the availability of equal opportunities for all. However, the ideal aiming at equal chances for all the European citizens, is not applicable for the vast majority of immigrants coming to Greece from 104 different countries of the world. The European dimension, supported financially and politically by the EU, aims at the maintenance of cultural and linguistic polymorphous through the projection of a common cultural heritage (articles 126 and 128 of the Maastrich Convention). On the other hand, the intercultural dimension based on an indistputable multicultural reality of the last decade, aims at the creation and adaption of new models of co-existence through equal and liberal inter-influence of all cultures living and expressing themselves in a multicultural society.

In school curricula the amelioration of the general social mentality towards the problems of multiculturalism in education means modifications. The topics in priority in school curriculum are as follows:

Religion lessons. Religion is taught from the age of 8 to the age of 18. In religion lessons the need is for teaching the children tolerance towards the diverse religions of the other cultures. Comparative lessons of history of religion as a total human conditions should be taught on the upper grade when students can evaluate the importance and the interest of being different in religious terms.

History and Geography should be revised into the direction of being minimal in ethnocentric orientation. Especially History is passing a great amount of hidden curriculum through various examples of underlying of the national sentiment (national days, parades, etc.).

Humanities, literature and foreign languages should should be directed towards more concrete examples of foreign cultures. So far the whole content of the philological lessons has been oriented toward the learning of the structure of the language neglecting the important ideas of the authors. Even in foreign languages, the focus has been rarely oriented towards the approach of the cultural aspect in the school curricula. Humanities are crucial in teaching children to combine values and knowledge and to learn better to communicate with different people.

Social sciences should be enriched by more intense courses of sociology and civil education. Both these classes were annulled after the recent reform of 1999 from students in the final grade and were replaced by lessons of informatics and economics. Technology is and will be useful, but the way it is taught in the secondary school is not ideal because of the strict technocratic and professional model these lessons are promoted.

Arts and History of Art should be urgently introduced in the secondary education for enabling young children to better understand the achievements of different cultures.

A new conception concerning the social role of the school aiming not only to the acquirement of knowledge but also to the better communication and socialisation of pupils. is needed. Visits in museums, galleries, theatre and other cultural sites should be as systematic as in France, where Wednesdays are dedicated to these cultural visits. Cultural experiences in general help to approach to understand and appreciate different cultures. Modern technology e.g. internet also increases interest on multicultural issues.

The topic of multicultural education should be introduced in all university departments educating future teachers. The theoretical multicultural education need to be combined with visits to multicultural classes. At the moment the courses of multicultural education are optional in the pre-school and primary teacher departments, and most students of the secondary teacher departments have never heard of them. Specialisation on multiculturalism should be in programmes in order to prepare the future teachers to face the new realities and to be able to deal with it.

In conclusion, the OE students were rather sensibilised than educated during the four months of the OE course and the outcome of this sensibilisation process was that these students evaluated multiculturalism in classrooms in connection to their own experiences e.g. they judged that to understand better the problems of strangers, they have to take their social position and undertake their role in the dominant culture.

- The communication in an international programme such as the OE proved that various difficulties are a rule and their overpassing is an achievement of good will and collective effort and collaboration. Demystification of fixed ideas or stereotypes has the sense that only communication in coordination with learning can overcome eternal prejudices fixed in the so called collective conscience of entire ethnic populations.

- Concerning the questions related to the internet use, data show that Greek trainees do not know and use the new communication technologies very well. Male students are better informed than females in general.

- Self-confidence of students increased during the OE sub-project.

- Trainees learned how to evaluate racism and xenophobia problems in school class, and how to invent practical ways of overpassing problems such as class conflicts and class organisation.

- Trainees learned how to evaluate cultural diversity as a living reality by practical means and also how to organise their theoretical weapons of thought.

- Important differences in education systems of every country created difficulties in understanding of needs and requirements among the students.

- There were technical problems in computer mediated communication.

- There were difficulties of comparison and analogies in every national case due to the different conditions.

- There were language problems in some cases.