EDUCATION AND THE MULTICULTURAL WORLD: THE SPECIFICITY OF RUSSIA
E. V. Pokasova
Institute of Philosophy and Law of SB RAS, st. Nikolaeva, 8, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia
Keywords: поликультурный мир, полиэтнические государства, роль и возможности образования, мультикультурное образование, multicultural world, multiethnic states, role and potentialities of education, multicultural education
Abstract
The modern world has become multiethnic and multicultural due to several reasons: the globaliza-tion processes, intensive migration flows, mixture of languages, cultures, interethnic marriages, informa-tional opportunities and mass-media - all these markers of the present day have led to the fact that there are practically no states with a uniform ethnic composition and cultural code. Nevertheless, modern re-searchers discuss a certain renaissance of ethnicity during the last decades of the past and present centu-ries. These differently directed tendencies are revealed, on one side, in the desire and intention of individual ethnical groups and their representatives to reproduce ethnical and cultural peculiarities, traditions, and, on the other side, the interethnic disagreements, clashes and the appearance of extremist movements are based on the same appeals. In the present article, an analysis is carried out of the named tendencies and also the role of educa-tion is substantiated in leveling the negative processes during interaction between representatives of dif-ferent ethnical groups and cultures. In reality, the multicultural education faces the problem of formation of the person, capable of active and effective life activity in the polyethnic, polycultural society, the person having a feeling of understanding and respect toward other cultures, a skill of living in peace and harmony with the people of different nationalities, races and faiths. It is concluded that education can adequately respond to these chal-lenges. To achieve it, we need to actively participate in the processes of modern generation’s adaptation to multiethnic surrounding; to build positive attitude towards cultural differences and the ability to integrate; to foster upbringing in a way of tolerance, equal interethnic communication; to promote awareness of positive values of ethnic and national culture; to foster conscious attitude and positive acceptance of one’s own history and respect towards history and culture of other ethnicities; to form of one’s own positive ethnical identity.
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