Introduction
Whenever students are joined in a classroom, based on the diverse backgrounds of the group members, cultural issues can arise within the group. If the course content is international dealing with beliefs, customs and traditions of countries other than the US, ethnocentricity plays an even more important role. According to Althen (1988) “Some people find cultural differences interesting and exciting. Other people, though, do not have that positive of a reaction. In the presence of people from different cultures they feel discomfort, confusion, and anxiety. They have a strong tendency to judge or evaluate other people and to reach negative conclusions about them.” Those pre-judgments and negative conclusions based on lack of information about another culture are part of ethnocentric behavior.
Therefore, learning environments can have a big impact on the growth or the reduction of ethnocentrism in a student. In order to reduce ethnocentrism, the student needs to be ‘internationalized’ in order to understand and appreciate the different ‘cultures&rsquo they are presented with. This is true in classrooms around the world and not limited to the United States.
In a classroom setting, students interact with others whose beliefs and cultural tradition challenge their own perspective. The more multicultural a group is, the more challenges to beliefs and cultural tradition arise. Bond (1995) wrote that “the mere existence of different others is inherently threatening because they either implicitly or explicitly challenge the absolute validity of one’s own perspective.” The conclusion, as stated by Bond, is that everybody is ethnocentric to varying degrees because “we are born into a culture at birth and we cling to that culture..” If this is a fact, the question arises: How can existing ethnocentrism be reduced?
The next section takes a closer look at the historical background of the educational system and the demands and developments fostered through globalization. They emphasize the need for a change in academia and the solution to the dilemma.
Next: Academia & Global Issues
