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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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It is difficult to avoid tensions and clashes when globalization, <strong>in</strong>tegration andregionalism cross each other. At this po<strong>in</strong>t there are many significant opportunities tomitigate the negative phenomena by education, these are described <strong>in</strong> the literature ascultural, <strong>in</strong>tercultural and multicultural. The basic idea of this form of education is toget rid of negative stereotypes and groundless fear towards other nations, people anddifferent sk<strong>in</strong> colour by be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> touch with their nature and customs. If learn<strong>in</strong>g isconducted <strong>in</strong> this way, education might be an effective <strong>in</strong>strument to reduce tensionsand antipathy <strong>in</strong> relations with foreigners, and improve self-esteem. Accord<strong>in</strong>g toGolka (2001) a sociologist, thanks to such education, the student might perceive othercultures not as a thread or unfamiliar and arous<strong>in</strong>g fears but as ‘a w<strong>in</strong>dow with aview on the new landscape’.Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Nikiforowicz (2001) <strong>in</strong>tercultural education is the support<strong>in</strong>g activityof <strong>in</strong>dividuals and group of people <strong>in</strong> creat<strong>in</strong>g dialectic process and shap<strong>in</strong>g awarenessof universal solidarity by:• gett<strong>in</strong>g acqua<strong>in</strong>ted and understand<strong>in</strong>g one’s own culture;• overcom<strong>in</strong>g the tendency to clos<strong>in</strong>g oneself <strong>in</strong> one’s own cultural circle;• open<strong>in</strong>g oneself, understand<strong>in</strong>g and respect<strong>in</strong>g others;• the desire to meet other cultures, shap<strong>in</strong>g sensitivity and ability for cooperation.The terms education of culture <strong>in</strong>tercultural, and multicultural are more common<strong>in</strong> Western European countries and the USA. In its mean<strong>in</strong>g they are close to theabove-mentioned establishment of Polish multicultural education. They symbolisedboth the activities for gett<strong>in</strong>g acqua<strong>in</strong>ted and open<strong>in</strong>g to other cultures, which shouldbe mostly responsible for build<strong>in</strong>g tolerance, understand<strong>in</strong>g and respect for differentgroups of people <strong>in</strong> respects of their race, nationality, sex, religion, and the acquisitionof skills <strong>in</strong> co-existence and cooperation with others. (Anders., 1995)The education of culture should have a significant place <strong>in</strong> geography, especiallynow that Poland has jo<strong>in</strong>ed the European Union. In the course of this, the issues ofregional geography should be clearly emphasized as part of the educational aims <strong>in</strong>order to make students more tolerant towards diversity.ConclusionsTo sum up, the above paper suggests that thematic l<strong>in</strong>ks should occupy a verysignificant place <strong>in</strong> the contemporary teach<strong>in</strong>g of geography, because they create anenormous chance for:• proper realization of the paramount aim of education, that is to prepare studentsfor adult life;• proper realization of subject aims <strong>in</strong> desired hierarchy (from convictions andattitudes, skills to understand<strong>in</strong>g patterns);• <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g the prestige of geography as a study and subject of teach<strong>in</strong>g.References1. ARENDS R. I., 1995. Uczymy się nauczać. WSiP, Warszawa.2. BANACH Cz., 2001. Aksjologiczne aspekty edukacji i kultury. [w:] Edukacja – wartośćszansa.Wybór prac z lat 1995−2001. Wyd. Nauk. AP, Kraków, s. 88−96.267

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