Education for Tolerance: Multicultural setting or ethnic school?

Carina Korostelina

Multiculturalism is the leading concept of civic society development. One of the key elements of the policy of multiculturalism is the multicultural education, which provides learning environment supporting positive interethnic contact. But during last few years concept of multiculturalism became disputed. Does concept of multiculturalism lead to multicultural education or to school segregation? Which effect the multicultural school environment and ethnic schools have on acceptance of differences and formation of tolerant superordinate identity? Two conceptions of ethnic minorities education have realized now in the Crimea. One of them supports schools with multicultural environment, which provide cultural experience and awareness. Second conception is based on right for education and gives representatives of indigenous and deported peoples opportunity to have ethnic schools with their languages of education. So the goal of project is to compare effect of two concepts of multiculturalism (with emphasis on right for education on native language or on multicultural setting) on tolerance formation among ethnic minorities. Hypotheses: 1.Education in multicultural setting will reduce negative heterostereotypes and readiness for conflict behavior through creation of common national identity. 2. Education in ethnic school will reduce negative heterostereotypes and readiness for conflict behavior through increasing of ethnic self-esteem. To test these hypotheses I will use posttest nonequivalent group design. To complete study about schooling in the Crimea I plan to undertake an opinion survey with approximately 1000 respondents and to undertake 50 focus interviews with teachers in these 10 schools to identify how studding in such school contribute to national identity formation, self esteem and tolerance of students.

About Carina Korostelina

Carina Korostelina is associate professor in the Psychological Department at National Taurida University. She heads the Crimean Institute for Conflict Resolution and Democracy and laboratory of ethnic and social psychology and fellow of European Research Center of Migration and Ethnic Relation (ERCOMER). She conducts research on the topics of national and ethnic identity, ethnic conflict resolution and ethnic relations in Crimea, reconciliation and peacebuilding. She has received grants from the MacArthur Foundation, Soros Foundation (Research Support Scheme, Managing Multiethnic Communities Project, Renaissance Foundation), the United State Institute of Peace, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of USDS, INTAS, IREX and Council of Europe. She participated in the Regional Scholar Exchange Program, administered by the Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC and funded by the United States Information Agency and in the CRC Nationalism session at the Curriculum Resource Center of the Central European University. The results of her research were presented at 20 international conferences in Europe and USA and in 45 publications in Ukrainian and International journals. Articles include “The social psychological reasons of ethnical conflict”, “The ethic identity and estimation of foreign conflict”, “Peace Building in Multiethnic Crimea”. She is author of books “Psychodiagnostic of interethnic relations in the Crimea”, and “The system of social identities: the analysis of ethnic situation in the Crimea” and editor of "Interethnic coexistence in the Crimea: the ways of achievement". She made itinerary presentations at Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo; University of Delaware; Institute for Conflict Analyses and Resolution at George Mason University, at Harvard University, Boston, at the Woodrow Wilson Center and Georgetown University, Washington, DC, European Research Center of Migration and Ethnic Relation (ERCOMER), The Netherlands and leaded 4 roundtables on the Voice of America. She conducts seminars, round tables and trainings for leaders of NGOs, community activists, teachers and government officials, organized by Danish Refugee Council, OUN and other international organizations. She has elaborated identity based training of tolerance.