Toleration and coexistence in conflicting societies: some tensions and implications for education

Abstract

In this paper, the author shows that the issue of whether toleration promotes coexistence is controversial and therefore needs careful consideration in light of the complexities that are involved in understanding and teaching toleration in the schools of conflict and post-conflict societies. In particular, this paper offers a critique to the interpretation of toleration-as-respect as a means of fostering coexistence in education. A vignette from the author's ethnographic research is used to support the argument that the assumption about a 'naturalised' link between toleration and coexistence is problematic and might well be counter-productive. It is shown that there exists an alternative interpretation of tolerance that highlights the antagonism between conflicting communities. Finally, the paper proposes an account of how an ethics of responsibility and hospitality may provide valuable alternatives that enrich existing interpretations of toleration and coexistence in educational settings of conflicting societies.

Human Rights Education, Postcolonial Scholarship, and Action for Social Justice

“…I argue that critical examination and reflection are required to develop a theory and practice of HRE, not just in post-conflict contexts or in regions where democratic practices are not deeply rooted (see, for example, Bernath, Holland, & Martin, 2002;Osler & Yahya, 2013;Reimers & Chung, 2010;Zembylas, 2011) but in nations that are proud of their human rights records. I contend that an examination of the tensions and ambiguities that exist between national values and ideals (normally promoted in citizenship education and discussed below) together with consideration of the challenges and complexity of implementing HRE in a prosperous and peaceful region may support the development of HRE theory.…”

Sostenibilidad de la convivencia escolar mediante procesos educacionales artivistas aplicados en Perú / Sustainability of school coexistence through artivist educational processes applied in Peru

“…Algunos reportes de investigación han declarado que las conductas que generan la convivencia escolar, son aquellas que son influenciadas por actividades formativas cooperativas, con búsqueda de la reflexión constante (Colcord, et al, 2016;Gass, et al, 2016), como también se ha considerado fortalecer competencias como elemento formativo en el aula (Zembylas, 2011;Perales, Arias y Bazdresch, 2014;Forgiony-Santos, 2019;Cejas, et al 2019). Inclusive, en contextos extraescolares, existen necesidades afectivas representadas por los padres, de los hijos, aunque la cultura no sea la adecuada debido a la carga agresiva parental (Aubel, 2012;Guzmán, Miller-Graff y Scheid, 2020).…”

Intercultural education of tolerance and hospitality

“…), but moves on to argue that because policy documents have a tremendous impact on pedagogic practice, the problem can be resolved somehow. His argument is echoed by Zembylas (2011), who conducted ethnographic research on the relationship between tolerance and peaceful co-existence in one public school of the Republic of Cyprus. This study acknowledged the powerful impact that policy has on practice, and described how Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-speaking students shared school space.…”

“…(2003, p. 127-8) Previous intercultural research has also highlighted this difference when suggesting that the two concepts are not direct equivalents. Bretherton (2004) andZembylas (2011), for instance, have suggested that tolerance runs counter to the imperatives of hospitality, and that while both deal with ways of embracing the other, the actions that emanate from tolerance are very different to those of hospitality (Borradori, 2003).…”

“…Other scholars (e.g. Furedi, 2011;Zembylas, 2011) choose to highlight what tolerance is not in order to critique a common, established idea that the attitude is synonymous with the enthusiastic acceptance of difference. In doing so, they concentrate on contemporary public discussions of the concept in which the connection between tolerance and judgement is in danger of being lost.…”