Ethnic Self-Awareness of Students In The Context of Their Ethno-Cultural Competence Formation

Natalia G. Arzamastseva, Valentina V. Konstantinova, Elena V. Alekseeva, Lyudmila V. Kurochkina, Larisa V. Basova and Irina V. Trubyanova

Abstract:

Contemporary Russia is a multiethnic state, which determines the actuality of such ethnic problems as prevention of interethnic conflicts, revival of national culture, fostering of respect for traditions, history and culture of people living in Russia. A positive effect in solving this problem is provided by the process of formation of ethno-cultural competence of an individual and the development of ethnic self-awareness of the youth. Currently, the scientific community has not developed one frame of mind on the essential characterization of the concept of the ethnic self-awareness. Summarizing different scientific views, self-awareness is considered by us as a part of ethnic consciousness, which reflects self-perception and self-representation of individuals as representatives of their ethnic community. The development of ethnic self-awareness of an individual passes over several stages. The most active institutions of ethno-socialization are the family, school, university. It is important to point out that a student’s ethnic self-awareness is considered as one of the indicators of his ethno-cultural competence formation in our research. Ethno-cultural competence is defined as a necessary set of personal qualities of a teacher, including high professionalism, knowledge, skills and abilities that allow the free use of cultural facilities and objects in the ethno-cultural environment (Arzamastseva, 2012). Nowadays the development of personal ethno-cultural self-awareness of students assumes particular significance in the activity of a modern teacher who must be aware of ​​cultures and traditions of people living in Russia; the place of national culture in the historical and cultural process; know the features of the multi-ethnic educational environment; be able to use the experience gained in the education and upbringing of students' personality. The purpose of the research is the elaboration and approbation of the model of ethnic self-awareness development of students’ personality in the process of studying at the university. The content of the research is aimed to reveal the students’ opinion about the need to develop the ethnic self-awareness; the level of his intelligence and the difficulties that arise during the educational process at the university. The results of the study allow to draw the following conclusion: the level of the ethnic self-awareness development of students depends on the effectiveness of the use of forms and methods of improving the professional training of future specialists in the context of their ethno-cultural competence formation.