Difference and Sameness in Schools: Perspectives from the European Anthropology of Education By LauraGilliam, ChristaMarkom (Eds.), New York: Berghahn Books. 2024. 366 pp. £31.95 (eBook). eISBN: 978‐1‐80539‐477‐8

Difference and Sameness in Schools: Perspectives from the European Anthropology of Education, edited by Laura Gilliam & Christa Markom, is a book that comprehensively discusses the dynamics of education in the context of social and cultural diversity. This book provides continuity between policy, curriculum, and structure of education by presenting empirical studies from several countries in Europe. The book's discussion touches on the challenges of diverse cultural, social, and historical backgrounds as well as the centralization efforts undertaken by the state, which have various consequences for the provision of education. The analysis presents micro level student–teacher interactions, meso level curriculum policy and school centricity, and national macro aspects. This book argues that education is not just a transfer of knowledge in the learning process, and the reader is invited to reflect on why such education can reach the community within a certain context. The presentation in this book is very dynamic so that readers can see that different countries will potentially experience different consequences for similar educational events, as well as why historical sociocultural contexts have such an impact on student learning. The book also highlights the importance of teachers' understanding of life outside of school to understand the social and cultural context of students as a basis for designing relevant and effective teaching practices. Through an ethnographic approach, the book seeks to explore in depth the interactions between students and teachers in the classroom by examining the challenges faced by teachers in managing diversity, such as stereotyping, discrimination, and the difficulties in creating equitable policies that respond to the needs of diverse students. The book consists of three parts with 11 interconnected chapters. Section 1 focuses on how education interacts with issues of sociality, identity, and integration in different contexts. Teachers and education systems try to manage differences and similarities in the classroom, such as teachers' adaptation to the needs of diverse students through demarcation processes and involvement in creating neutral environments to overcome social threats, especially in relation to migrant children in a pedagogical context. Chapter 1 describes how the concept of neutrality can be used as the main moral value in Swiss kindergarten to overcome social differences and create a comfortable educational zone that ignores the existing conflict hierarchy in society. Chapter 2 discusses the educational practices in Danish public schools that teach students about moral learning and social differences to create a smooth moral hierarchy that upholds equality. Chapter 3 presents a comparative analysis of two schools located in Oslo—Woodside and Lakeside—through the lens of control and care paradigms. At Woodside, the control approach is characterized by a structured educational framework emphasizing systematic student management through explicit rules and direct teacher interventions. This approach aligns with educational systems that prioritize self-governed independence, seeking to cultivate student autonomy within a rigorous structural context. In contrast, Lakeside adopts a care-oriented approach that focuses on providing emotional support and adaptive strategies for students struggling to meet educational demands. The school's methodology emphasizes flexibility and personalized engagement, creating a supportive environment that addresses individual student challenges while maintaining educational standards. This comparative examination reveals the complex ways educational institutions interact with local communities, demonstrating how different pedagogical approaches negotiate the delicate balance between institutional control and student-centered care. By exploring these two distinct educational models, the chapter illuminates the multifaceted nature of contemporary educational practices and their responsive strategies to diverse student needs. Chapter 4 discusses the Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and pedagogy of Discomfort approaches used to help address the challenges of educational policy practices in Austrian schools that divide students based on cognitive ability and other categories of difference. This has the potential to create structures of oppression in the education system, especially in cases of students who have minority backgrounds. This approach emerges to create a more inclusive learning environment to reduce the gap between students. Part two of the book informs the reader about how similarities and differences are constructed in curricula, policies, and school structures in several European countries. In Chapter 5, the author sees potential for the commodification of the ageist imagination. Education tends to normalize certain standards to be achieved at different ages. The age taxonomy in mass schooling is evidence society was organized by age to support the wheel of capitalism and modernity symbolized by England at the time. Chapter 6 is a review of Roma children who were excluded from the Czech education curriculum due to stigma and stereotypes indicating that they were less able to think abstractly. In contrast, Russian education under Vladimir Putin tends to centralize nationalism, and marginalize minor or regional identities such as Tartars. In contrast to the issue of centrality, schools in the Netherlands allow Muslim students to navigate their Islamic identity in order to safely participate in society according to their nationality. Furthermore, in Chapter 9, the education curriculum in Greece stimulates students to think critically about the complexity and diversity of national identities behind the narratives of historical formation. Part three contains two chapters that focus on how anthropological and ethnographic approaches can be used to understand the dynamics of diversity and identity in educational contexts, highlighting the importance of social interactions in schools as a means of shaping student identity and addressing the challenges that arise from cultural diversity. Chapter 10 emphasizes the importance of understanding students' cultural backgrounds in the dynamics of classroom teaching. Cultural diversity and migration experiences shape complex social identities and communities, and are an important part of shaping students' background knowledge when reading the wider social context. Chapter 11 examines the relevance of previous research in the face of the social and political changes of the late 1990s and post-September 11 attacks, which changed views on multiculturalism. This considers the importance of emphasizing complex and contextualized identities in Europe, where the authors call for more in-depth ethnographic research to understand the dynamics of diverse identities and classroom education. Overall, this book is a fundamental resource on education in diverse societies. By integrating theory and practice, the author manages to present an in-depth analysis of how teachers can play a role in creating an inclusive environment. Several analyses of the failures and successes of educational provisions in various countries are also presented to fill in the gaps that can be patched up by educators and education organizers in various parts of the world. This book not only provides insight into the challenges faced by teachers, but also offers solutions and strategies to overcome these challenges. In addition, this book also presents the importance of ethnographic research in particular in an effort to help students' sociocultural understanding in reconstructing an inclusive and relevant educational context. While this book features several countries, the overall context still describes the global north. This is a gap and can be used as a basis for further research, especially in the global south. This book is very relevant for educators, researchers and policy makers in realizing inclusive education and as an alternative reference in formulating solutions to diversity issues in education. The authors would like to thank the Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) for supporting the publication of this article. Rahmat Siregar, an anthropologist with a background in anthropology education, is currently pursuing a master's in anthropology at Gadjah Mada University. His research interests include multicultural education, race, gender work, identity diversity, and disability studies. He is interested in exploring the complexities of inclusion and social dynamics in diverse communities. Nuzul Solekhah, a researcher at the Centre for Social Welfare, Village and Connectivity Research at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Anthropology at Gadjah Mada University. Her research interests span Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Gender and Care Work, and Popular Culture, reflecting her commitment to understanding the intersections of education, social welfare, and cultural dynamics in Indonesia.