Cultural diversity and hate speech: The role of intercultural competence
Marta Milani
The digital world has become, in a few years, a place in which aggressive thoughts, full of authoritarian rhetoric and slogans, especially against minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin, are frequently expressed. The term «hate» might not seem appropriate to describe phenomena, such as racism or xenophobia, which are, sadly, widespread and well-known. It is used instead to express an aversion voted to evil — and in particular to hostility, discrimination, and violence — that can lead to dehumanization as well as to real crimes. We are now facing an unprecedented educational challenge which requires a radical re-foundation of the contemporary ethics scarred by the drift of neoliberalism. That’s why society urgently has to assume an educational, and therefore anthropological role. In particular, the development perspective of intercultural competence, divided into its rational, emotional, innate and contextual dimension, plays an increasingly central role to overcome those visions that consider emigration and the multicultural contexts in terms of risk and discomfort rather than a great resource for both individuals and society at large.
Keywords
Hate speech, intercultural competence, racism, intercultural education.