Children’s peer conflict in culturally and linguistically heterogeneous schools: a pedagogical perspective on its risks and opportunities

The paper explores children’s peer conflict in classrooms characterized by cultural and linguistic heterogeneity. Drawing from larger video-ethnographic research in two primary schools in northern Italy, this study adopts a CA-informed approach to analyze occurrences of natural conflict between children with a migratory background. As the analysis illustrates, by arguing with each other children refine the social and linguistic skills in their interactional repertoire and negotiate their respective identities and roles in the peer group. Thus, in the discussion I argue that peer conflict entails significant opportunities for migrant children’s social inclusion in the community, but it is also a locus where children might exclude other classmates. On the basis of these insights, the article outlines the pedagogical relevance of peer conflict and proposes few implications for teachers’ professional practice.