Transcript Ethics education

Ethics education – multicultural
approach with a global view.
Polish ethics education - can’t it be mapped to a multicultural
education?
Dr Joanna LEEK
University of Lodz, Poland
ENASTE-Congress 2015, Vienna
May 14-16, 2015
Polish ethics education - can’t it be mapped to a
multicultural education?
• The aim of the lecture is to highlight one of
the issues which insufficiently deals with the
relationship to globalization, migration and
multicultural education: teaching values.
– concept of global multicultural world of Martha Nussbaum
– some theoretical debates on multicultural education that
is based on democratic values, affirming world citizenship
in an interdependent world
– ethics education in Poland by introducing policies,
measures, approaches, curriculum and organization.
Methodological approach
• The desk review mapping cosmopolitan
education and multicultural education (part I)
• Reviewing two types of literature: academic
studies and Polish ethics core curricula &
direct contacts with professionals (teachers)
working in the field (part II)
Cosmopolitan connections
of multicultural word
• Martha C. Nussbaum is an
American philosopher,
Professor of Law and Ethics
at the University of Chicago
• She has a particular interest
in ancient Greek and Roman
philosophy, political
philosophy, feminism and
ethics.
Cosmopolitism of M. Nussbaum
• is connected with the idea of education for
world citizenship that must ‘prepare to live
together in a pluralistic democracy’
• requires the need for discussion about
sexual, racial, ethnic & social minorities and
major cultural and religious orientations
Cosmopolitism of M. Nussbaum
• To get to know own region and culture
• To engage students in knowledge of all
cultures and histories
• To develop ability to see itselve as citizens of
some local, regional group but also as human
beings, bound to other human beings by ties
of recognition and concern.
Cosmopolitism of M. Nussbaum
• Citizenship education nees to beginn as soon
as possible
– Children should be presented differences in culture,
traditions and beliefs.
– They can participate in storytelling and must be taught to
understand and respect the commonality and differences,
common rights and unique history, problems and
aspirations of various groups.
Cosmopolitism of M. Nussbaum
• NARRITATIVE IMAGNINATION
• The ability
– to think what it might be like to be in the situation
of a person different from oneself,
– to understand the emotions, wishes and desires
that someone so placed might have.
Multicultural education with global
context
• Over the past 40 years numerous scholars,
researchers and organizations have been defining
multicultural education in different ways for
various reasons.
• Even now there is still not a clear and agreed
upon definition emerging from the literature on
multicultural education
• The term multicultural education refers often to
two practices: teaching in a multicultural society
and teaching about cultural diversity.
Multicultural education with global
context
• Multicultural education by J. Banks (2010)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
content integration,
the knowledge construction process,
prejudice reduction,
an equity pedagogy,
an empowering school culture and social
structure.
Multiculturalism
Value and
behavioural
differences
are viewed as
something to
be affirmed
and accepted
assumes
responsible
and active
actions in
diverse
societies
shows the
world as a
marketplace
of competing
ideas
is based on
preserving
inherent
differences
Multicultural
education
aims better
decisionmaking and
social action
skills, leading
to a more
democratic
and humane
world
focuses on
celebrating
the
differences
Cosmopolitanism
has the potential to
identify common
values that bridge
cultures without
negating local
aims respect and
enjoyment of cultural
differences with a
sense of global
belonging
reflects the presence
of a dominant group
that can tolerate the
presence of other
groups, such as
newcomers
is an ongoing effort to
understand behaviours
and needs beyond
one’s normal culture
horizon and requires
both empathy and
imagination
Multiculturalism & Cosmopolitism
Both might agree on the need not
to idealizing a life of movement
and migration. For many asylum
seekers, refugees, guest workers
is a forced choice that is far away
from abstract philosophical
universalism or globetrotting
lifestyle
Both offers a way of thinking
beyond the opposition
between local and global
Both tend to encouraging
children to see others in
term of their common
humanity rather than their
cultural differences
Multiculturalism & Cosmopolitism
Ethics education in Poland
• Ethic education together with religion education as
school subject is a rather recent innovation.
• It has been set in Polish schools 1991 with adding it
into the school curriculum.
• Since then school is obliged to offer religion or ethic
lessons but them two school subjects are nor
compulsory but voluntary to attend by pupils.
• Pupils may attend religion lessons, ethic subject, both
or they have right do not attend any of them.
• Results in ethics are included in the student's grade
point average, do not affect the promotion.
Ethics in Polish core curricula – interlocking multicultural & global approaches.
How it is.
Secondary school,
second level
Primary school, first
level
Primary school, second
level
(17-19 years of age)
(6-10 years of age)
(11-13 years of age)
Objectives. 1) Developing of own
opinion about human being, his
nature, duties, moral in various life
situations.
2) Recognizing pupils’
responsibilities for family and
school.
3) Recognizing of fundamental
values​, including their proper
hierarchy.
4) The perception of the diversity of
attitudes and behaviors.
Content. 1) Getting to know each
other, recognizing their own
individual characteristics.
2) True meaning of peoples’
behavior, reasons and
consequences.
3) Man as a person, human dignity.
Objectives. 1) Developing of own
opinion about human being, its
nature, duties, moral in various life
situations.
2) Identifying core values including
proper hierarchy.
Objectives. Pupils should
1) be acting according to the rules
used in the school community
(local) and in the adult world;
2) know that he/she can’t act at the
costs of others, he/she does not
destroy the environment;
3) cultivate friendships; provide
assistance to people in need in
everyday life;
4)understand that people have
equal rights,
5) show respect for the elder
people;
6) understand impact of own
decisions, in particularly impact on
the others
3) Identifying the specific norms
and values in public community and
democratic country; recognizing of
situations violating these norms
and values (eg. corruption); acting
in accordance with standards and
values in peer groups and school.
4) Taking responsibility for
themselves and others, and for
moral choices;
5) Applying of principles of
harmonious coexistence and
interaction with the social and
natural environment.
Content. 1) Man as a person;
human dignity.
2) The role and importance of
conscience and own moral
evaluation.
Secondary school, first
level
(14-16 years of age)
Objectives. 1) Developing the
moral sensitivity; ability to better
understand each other
2) Developing the knowledge about
moral values and the ability to
distinguish
good and evil; make accurate
assessment of the moral activities
in school or community life;
3) Developing of analysis of ethical
dilemmas and assessment of own
the activities and decisions and its
impact on the others
4) Developing of the knowledge
about basic notions and concepts
of ethics.
Content. 1) Ethics and philosophy –
relations, similarities. Morality,
ethos, low, customs and way of life.
2) Ethical theories, concepts.
3) Ethical analysis of human
activity.
4) Purpose and meaning of human
existence. 5) Moral dilemmas.
Ethics in Polish core curricula – interlocking multicultural & global approaches.
How it can be.
Living peaceful
between, within
and among
ourselves
Major ways of
discussion about
human
conditions and
morality
New images
about situations
involving
responsibility
and assistance
Create many
opportunities to
cooperate with
others, sharing
tasks and
responsibilities
By disagreement,
learning about
the alternatives
Developing of
basic cultural
literacy
Civic virtues and
values
Conclusions
• The paper was intended to extend
understanding of challenges of multicultural &
cosmopolitan education. The contribution is
threefold.
Conclusions
1. My research demonstrates that ethic
education can’t be understood as part of
multicultural or global education as they are
two different concepts.
Conclusions
2. The content of Polish ethic curriculum
includes multicultural and global issues. But
there is still a lot of possibilities what could be
included in curricula.
Conclusions
• A challenge of moral education in
multicultural global world is to focus on
fostering the development of empathy and
pro-social emotions. An attempt to teach how
to live together is at heart of most
formulations of moral education in
multicultural & global world.
Conlusions
3. Although there are differences between
multicultural and cosmopolitan education,
ethics education might be the opportunity on
Polish schools to combine this two issues in
one Ethics core curriculum.