Education and inequality: Shaping conflict and peace in broken socio-economic structures

This study engages in a critical literature review that offers insights into systemic and structural problems that immigrants face. Being forced, in many cases, to flee from their countries of origin, migrants face many challenges due to a lack of clear educational pathways, cultural integration and social lifts within the world's most advanced countries. For instance, migrants often experience labour-market resistance, as evidenced by consistent, stagnant rates of advancement into higher positions in their host countries and by their limited integration into communities and society. An additional problem is that segregation by country of origin matters significantly, as migrants face significant barriers to integrating into classrooms and educational systems that do not encourage building social connections and integration with nationals. In this regard, socialisation is identified as essential, as it can provide access to relevant job networks, innovative technologies, and host-country ‘know-how’, and boost proficiency in the host language. As a result, migrants receive less support than their native counterparts from the same class background and can be excluded from networks. As shown by the extant literature, xenophobia and prejudice against migrants and ethnic minorities vary considerably across European societies. Labelling non-nationals as competitors for scarce resources in labour markets leads to their unequal treatment and worsening already complicated situations. For migrants, these attitudes are expressed in unfavourable treatment by employers and institutions, leading to ethnic disparities across generations. The challenges associated with migration cannot be neglected, and appropriate policies and regulations are needed, within a context that acknowledges the importance of migrants in supporting economic development and progress. Therefore, educational systems that enable an understanding of labour mobility and the role of migrants can support the integration of migration into countries’ socio-economic systems. In addition, social policies that value reducing inequalities and supporting cultural integration can also aid in the creation of appropriate supports that minimise internal clashes. understanding, through a broader social dimension embedded in every society, can help overcome the negative connotations associated with migrants and contribute to building more equal and balanced relationships between migrants and their host countries.