Intercultural Studies from Southern Chile


Book Description

This book presents a multidisciplinary overview of a little known interethnic conflict in the southernmost part of the Americas: the tensions between the Mapuche indigenous people and the settlers of European descent in the Araucania region, in southern Chile. Politically autonomous during the colonial period, the Mapuche had their land confiscated, their population decimated and the survivors displaced and relocated as marginalized and poor peasants by Chilean white settlers at the end of the nineteenth century, when Araucania was transformed in a multi-ethnic region marked by numerous tensions between the marginalized indigenous population and the dominant Chileans of European descent. This contributed volume presents a collection of papers which delve into some of the intercultural dilemmas posed by these complex interethnic relations. These papers were originally published in Spanish and French and provide a sample of the research activities of the Núcleo de Estudios Interétnicos e Interculturales (NEII) at the Universidad Católica de Temuco, in the capital of Araucania. The NEII research center brings together scholars from different fields: sociocultural anthropology, sociolinguistics, ethno-literature, intercultural education, intercultural philosophy, ethno-history and translation studies to produce innovative research in intercultural and interethnic relations. The chapters in this volume present a sample of this work, focusing on three main topics: The ambivalence between the inclusion and exclusion of indigenous peoples in processes of nation-building. The challenges posed by the incorporation of intercultural practices in the spheres of language, education and justice. The limitations of a functional notion of interculturality based on eurocentric thought and neoliberal economic rationality. Intercultural Studies from Southern Chile: Theoretical and Empirical Approaches will be of interest to anthropologists, linguists, historians, philosophers, educators and a range of other social scientists interested in intercultural and interethnic studies.




Worldviews and Cultures


Book Description

Globalization brings people and cultures together, producing, in addition to deep and rich encounters, exclusion, racism, xenophobia and asymmetries. The present book takes these issues implicitly as its starting point by thoroughly reflecting on them from a perspective of worldviews, as one of many approaches. More specifically, it focuses on people’s implicit and explicit interpretations and assumptions of the world, of themselves and of others. Often deeply rooted and hard to change, they have an important function, for without them we would continually need to question what we do and what we think. In their absolutist form, these assumptions may become a barrier for open-mindedness, and hence for deep intercultural understanding and exchange. We need to find a balance between both stances. Intercultural philosophy tries to fulfil this role, on the one hand by comparing different cultures on a deep philosophical level, and as a way to better understand each other’s core assumptions, and on the other hand by arguing for an intercultural philosophy grounded in specific cases. The contributions of this book conceive of "another possible world" which does not condemn cultural and religious diversity as a detonator for "Clashes of Civilizations", but rather welcomes it as a source of inspiration for all and of respect for the "different".




Indigenous and Minority Populations


Book Description

The sections and chapters contained in this book deal with issues and challenges facing indigenous and minority populations located in several geographical areas of the world. The papers are written by writers and scholars from various parts of the world and, like any piece of literature on indigenous and minority populations, the topics are diverse. The perspectives are both interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary. The issues examined in the various chapters cover areas pertaining to their human rights, preservation of their culture and identity, traditional knowledge, and their challenges, but also scholarly and epistemological approaches to understanding and articulating such topics in academic contexts. Indeed, the issues around indigenous and minority populations across the world transcend their human rights concerns in relation to dominant groups and institutions within the territorial boundaries of the modern states where they currently live. These issues are cultural, anthropological, sociological, philosophical and epistemological, as well as historical. Any scholarly piece of work on indigenous and minority populations is therefore inevitably inter-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary or both. The various topics examined by the authors epitomize this diversity of issues around such populations. The book is a significant source of information for students, academics, practitioners, policymakers, government officials and non-governmental organisations working on issues that pertain to such populations at national, regional and global levels.




Repensar la Educación para un Mundo Global y Transcultural


Book Description

Además disponible en inglés: Rethinking Education for a Global, Transcultural World Repensar la educación es esencial en un mundo, global, transcultural, cambiante y comunicado. A través del libro Repensar la Educación para un Mundo global, Transcultural se argumenta y se analiza cómo construir relaciones entre la escuela y la sociedad, y las posibilidades de trascender las barreras en diferentes contextos nacionales: Chile, Israel, México, Marruecos, Polonia y España. El principal objetivo que queremos conseguir con las aportaciones realizadas en el libro, es conocer cómo los Sistemas Educativos y las escuelas de diferentes países responden a los cambios sociales causados por la globalización, las migraciones y las tecnologías de la comunicación. Los autores son profesores de diferentes disciplinas científicas y de diferentes religiones, culturas y puntos de vista que viven las realidades descritas en los capítulos y piensan desde estas realidades cómo mejorar y cómo debe ser la educación en un mundo global, desafiante y cambiante. Hacemos hincapié en la importancia de este libro y sus implicaciones en la educación de niños y jóvenes, y en la formación de los maestros. Por esta razón, este es un libro diseñado para profesores de escuelas primarias y secundarias, padres, directores, supervisores, profesores universitarios que forman a los maestros, para los estudiantes de la universidad y para todos los que quieren saber y pensar acerca de la educación en un mundo global e intercultural y las nuevas formas de comunicación para hacer frente al aprendizaje, ya sea a nivel local o a nivel mundial. La misión de todos es continuar construyendo la educación, y para ello en este libro se presentan las contribuciones y recomendaciones de los profesionales de diferentes partes del mundo que permitirán al lector conocer, analizar, comprender y apreciar la importancia de la educación para preparar a los estudiantes en un pensamiento abierto y crítico en un mundo global. Los capítulos no ofrecen una panacea, pero ofrecen muchas ideas sobre cómo, a través de la educación, preparar a los ciudadanos para una sociedad global y transcultural.




HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY -Volume III


Book Description

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology is a component of Encyclopedia of Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on History and Philosophy of Science and Technology in four volumes covers several topics such as: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science; The Nature and Structure of Scientific Theories Natural Science; A Short History of Molecular Biology; The Structure of the Darwinian Argument In The Origin of Species; History of Measurement Theory; Episodes of XX Century Cosmology: A Historical Approach; Philosophy of Economics; Social Sciences: Historical And Philosophical Overview of Methods And Goals; Introduction to Ethics of Science and Technology; The Ethics of Science and Technology; The Control of Nature and the Origins of The Dichotomy Between Fact And Value; Science and Empires: The Geo-Epistemic Location of Knowledge; Science and Religion; Scientific Knowledge and Religious Knowledge - Significant Epistemological Reference Points; Thing Called Philosophy of Technology; Transitions from Function-Oriented To Effect-Oriented Technologies. Some Thought on the Nature of Modern Technology; Technical Agency and Sources of Technological Pessimism These four volumes are aimed at a broad spectrum of audiences: University and College Students, Educators and Research Personnel.




Rethinking Education for a Global, Transcultural World


Book Description

The global networking promoted by technology, globalization and migration that are occurring at a large scale, requires school systems that develop in the students new types of skills, based on the ability to understand the world and its problems and instill a sense of responsibility and cooperation to enhance the resolution of the great problems of mankind. Rethinking education is essential in a global, transcultural, changing and communicated world. Throughout the book Rethinking Education for a Global, Transcultural World is argued and analyzed how to build relationships between the school and society, and the possibilities of transcending the barriers in different national contexts: Chile, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, and Spain. The main goal we want to achieve with the contributions made in the book is to know how education systems and schools in different countries respond to the social changes caused by globalization, migration and new communication technologies. The authors are professors of different scientific disciplines and different faiths, cultures and points of view, living the realities described in the chapters and thinking from these realities how to improve and how should be the education in a global, challenging and ever-changing world. We stress the importance of this book and its implications in the education of children and youth and in the preparation of teachers. For this reason, this is a book designed for teachers of primary and secondary schools, parents, principals, supervisors, university teachers who prepare school teachers, university students and those who want to know and think about education in a global and intercultural world and new forms of communication to face learning, whether at local or at world level. The mission of all is continue building education, and to facilitate this work in this book are presented contributions and recommendations of professionals around the world that will allow the reader to know, analyze, understand and appreciate the importance of education to prepare students to function with open and critical thinking in a global world. The chapters do not offer a panacea, but offer many ideas on how, through education, prepare citizens for a global and transcultural society.




forum for inter-american research Vol 2


Book Description

Volume 2 of 6 of the complete premium print version of journal forum for inter-american research (fiar), which is the official electronic journal of the International Association of Inter-American Studies (IAS). fiar was established by the American Studies Program at Bielefeld University in 2008. We foster a dialogic and interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Americas. fiar is a peer-reviewed online journal. Articles in this journal undergo a double-blind review process and are published in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.




Social Studies Education in Latin America


Book Description

This book offers a path forward, for the growing collaboration in social studies education between Global North and South educators, practitioners, and researchers. In this volume, leading critical social studies education researchers from Latin America explore the constant presence of colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy, and state violence. Chapter contributors represent a large part of the continent and offer perspectives on a wide range of topics, including recent history and memory, cultural dimensions of social studies education, and comparative studies among Latin American countries. By bringing together this critical work in one volume, the book fosters conversation across geographic regions to transcend the national contexts for which these analyses are generally produced. This collection provides insights into issues of curriculum, teaching, teacher education, and research in the region and will be of interest to readers both familiar with and new to research on social studies, history, citizenship, and geography education in Latin America.




Hemispheric Indigeneities


Book Description

Hemispheric Indigeneities is a critical anthology that brings together indigenous and nonindigenous scholars specializing in the Andes, Mesoamerica, and Canada. The overarching theme is the changing understanding of indigeneity from first contact to the contemporary period in three of the world’s major regions of indigenous peoples. Although the terms indio, indigène, and indian only exist (in Spanish, French, and English, respectively) because of European conquest and colonization, indigenous peoples have appropriated or changed this terminology in ways that reflect their shifting self-identifications and aspirations. As the essays in this volume demonstrate, this process constantly transformed the relation of Native peoples in the Americas to other peoples and the state. This volume’s presentation of various factors—geographical, temporal, and cross-cultural—provide illuminating contributions to the burgeoning field of hemispheric indigenous studies. Hemispheric Indigeneities explores indigenous agency and shows that what it means to be indigenous was and is mutable. It also demonstrates that self-identification evolves in response to the relationship between indigenous peoples and the state. The contributors analyze the conceptions of what indigeneity meant, means today, or could come to mean tomorrow.