Learning to live together: an exploration and analysis of managing cultural diversity in centre-based early childhood development programmes

This paper explores how early childhood development practitioners running centre-based programmes with children aged 3–6 years address the needs of an increasing number of children from diverse cultural backgrounds in their care. This is important as early childhood is a critical moment in which to create a positive awareness about diversity. A qualitative and interactive research design was employed to identify what values, attitudes, knowledge and strategies practitioners and families believe are important to promote the social integration of children from diverse backgrounds. In-depth interviews and participant observation were used to collect data from 10 practitioners working in two urban settlements in two provinces of South Africa, while focus group interviews were carried out with the families of children attending two of the centres. The findings showed that an intercultural education approach provides the necessary tools to address challenges faced by practitioners including promoting social integration, respect for diversity and multilingualism, and the prevention of racist, xenophobic and discriminatory attitudes and actions.

Este trabajo explora la manera en que los educadores, trabajando en centros de educación infantil con niños entre tres y seis años atienden las necesidades de cada vez mayor número de niños de orígenes culturales y lingüísticos diversos. Esto es importante porque la etapa de la infancia es un momento crítico para crear una conciencia positiva sobre la diversidad. Se utilizó un diseño de investigación cualitativa e interactiva para identificar cuales son los valores, actitudes, conocimientos y estrategias que los educadores y las familias creen que son importantes para promover la integración social de los niños de diversos orígenes. Se utilizaron entrevistas en profundidad y observaciones participativas para recopilar datos de diez educadores de dos comunidades urbanas situadas en dos provincias de Sudáfrica. Asimismo, se entrevistaron las familias de los niños que asisten a dos de dichos centros. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo de educación intercultural proporciona las herramientas necesarias para hacer frente a los desafíos que los educadores enfrentan: la promoción de la integración social, el respeto a la diversidad y el multilingüismo, y la prevención de actitudes y acciones racistas, xenófobas y discriminatorias.     

收入差距与教育的逻辑关系解析——基于需求角度的理论框架及实证检验

本文试图从需求层面勾勒收入差距对教育需求分层的影响,通过构建"收入差距扩大--商品需求多样化和商品需求分层--生产要素需求分层--生产要素价格差距扩大--收入差距扩大"的研究逻辑框架,揭示收入差距扩大本身可能通过对商品需求和生产要素需求的影响,表现为一定程度的自我加强的变化趋势.在此基础上,运用宏观数据证实了收入差距的扩大时消费需求多样化和商品分层的影响,发现收入不平等程度的加深确实导致商品消费数量差距的扩大和商品消费价格差距的扩大;并且实证性地检验了在商品多样化和分层的背景下,生产要素呈现出与之对应的分层现象,即表现为劳动力生产要素的收入报酬和教育回报率的差距扩大.     

Building inclusive nations in the age of migration

Nation and diversity are often cast in oppositional terms. The present joint intervention explores the limits and possibilities of what we call ‘inclusive nation’, i.e. a nation which embraces rather than expunging diversity. To reflect on this idea, the Loughborough University Nationalism Network (LUNN) organized a symposium, bringing together both academics and relevant stakeholders, to explore both theoretically and practically the feasibility of the inclusive nation. For reason of space, here we present only the theoretical views of academics. While Billig and Yuval-Davis highlight the inherent exclusive thrust of nationalism, Kaufmann and Hearn suggest two distinct ways to move away the traditional understanding of nationalism as a site of singularity, oppression and exclusion. A final rejoinder by Nyhagen pushes the debate further interrogating the boundaries of national belonging.     

Nailing One’s Colours: Tate Britain’s Artist and Empire

Taking the view that national art museums should represent the multifarious populations they serve, this article explores racial material in Tate Britain’s high-profile exhibition Artist and Empire: Facing Britain’s Imperial Past (2015). The exhibition gave extensive coverage to two aspects of empire: hybrid fusions and the myth of white heroism, but gave limited attention to colonization as a maximally coercive system built on racist imaginings and abuse. Through cross-examination of the exhibition’s content and absences, I explore whether Tate Britain is setting out the ‘building blocks’ for more diverse practice.     

Response to symposium on Artifacts and Allegiances: How Museums Put the Nation and the World on Display

The author responds to the contributions to this symposium, highlighting her ideas about diversity management regimes, the urban cultural armature, global museum assemblages, the cosmopolitan-nationalism continuum, and new methods for studying the global and for engaging in constructive critique.     

The question of India’s North-East identity and solidarity

The question of India’s North-East identity and solidarity has been a subject of debate among scholars, academicians and others. Apologia to a collective North-East believes in the existence of North-East identity and solidarity. Against the apologia’s stands are the critique who rather brushed aside North-East collectivity and questioned the clubbing together of the region as one entity. This article highlights some of the contrasting views of understanding India’s North-East, and takes the issue further by proposing to call these contending paradigms as the ‘apologists’ and the ‘sceptics’. We further argue that despite their apparent ‘antithesis’, both paradigms are related.     

Gambling among culturally diverse older adults: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative data

Culturally diverse older gamblers may face multiple jeopardies and socially structured challenges. In this first systematic review of empirical evidence of gambling in this population, the authors examined both quantitative and qualitative studies published between 1996 and June 2016. A thorough search of 7 databases yielded 18 articles with a total sample of 11,296 culturally diverse older adults. The review revealed contrary findings on the correlation between gender, education, income and gambling behaviour. Early onset was more frequently found among older adults who belonged to a culture that promoted tolerance of gambling activities; however, some developed a gambling habit after they had moved to a western society. Using an analytical framework, the authors demonstrate interrelated factors: enabling factors (cultural acceptance of gambling, supportive social networks, accessibility to gambling facilities and venues, and external cues); motivational factors (desire for excitement and winning money, coping with boredom, and stress due to structural issues); and buffering factors for culturally diverse older gamblers . Both environmental and personal factors could be triggered as buffers between gambling and culturally diverse older adults. In light of the motivational and enabling factors, practitioners and policy makers may need to step beyond focusing on ‘correction’ during intervention.     

中西宗教观之比较

在西方,80%以上的人信仰宗教,而中国则与之相反,约90%的人不是宗教信徒。何以出现如此大的反差?只要从中西方思维结构与思维模式、价值观、神人观、来世观以及宗教在社会中的地位和作用、君权与神权的关系、哲学与宗教的关系等方面进行具体分析,就不难发现,中国和西方在上述诸多方面都存在着很大差异。正是这些文化深层结构的差异,造成了中西方对宗教的不同认识和态度。     

文化多样化环境下师德评价的挑战与应对

面对全球化背景下西方意识形态渗透带来的挑战,师德评价必须立足于现实,从全球视野来省思和认识道德教育和道德评价对教师成长和发展的意义,自觉维护和践行社会主义核心价值观.面对深刻的社会变革和功利主义价值观的挑战,师德评价必须用马克思主义道德理论教育和引导教师,继承优秀师德传统,弘扬现代教育伦理精神.师德之理想与现实是矛盾的对立统一,师德评价需要用美好的道德理想来引领道德现实,但不能因此就否定教师德性水平的层次性和多样性.