Etnokulturalna empatija srednjoškolaca u kulturološki raznovrsnoj sredini kao mehanizam jačanja pozitivnih stavova prema različitim etničkim grupama

Abstract

In her paper The Ethnocultural Empathy of Secondary School Pupils in the Culturally Diverse Environment as a Mechanism for Promoting a Positive Approach Towards Different Ethnic Groups, Tijana Jokić Zorkić researches the role of the ethnocultural empathy of secondary school pupils in the culturally diverse environment as a potential mechanism for strengthening good inter-ethnic relationships. The mediatory influence of ethnocultural empathy on the relation between perceived school support for interculturality and the social distance of pupils towards the second biggest ethnic group in school was examined. The results showed the significant indirect influence of school support for interculturality on social distance/closeness (forming close friendships), i.e. its significant mediatory influence on ethnocultural empathy. Therefore, ethnocultural empathy may be the mechanism by means of which schools could influence social, i.e. ethnic distance in culturally diverse environments. The findings from this study indicate that schools should invest in strengthening ethnocultural empathy and other intercultural skills bearing in mind their influence not only on school achievement and experiences of personal happiness, but also on attitudes towards other ethnic groups.