Ethnic identity and tolerance of foreign students in the multicultural environment of a military higher education institution

Abstract

The article is devoted to determining the level of ethnic identity and the manifestation of tolerance among foreign military students of a Russian military higher education institution in the context of intercultural interaction; it is noted that the environment of a military educational institution is characterised by deprivation. The article presents the results of the study. The sample consisted of 38 students from the countries far enough from Russia, studying on the preparatory, first and second years, at the Military Academy of Radiation, Chemical & Biological Protection named after Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko, in the City of Kostroma. Dynamics was revealed in the studied indicators among students of different courses. Positive dynamics was revealed in terms of ethnic indifference, positive ethnic identity, ethno-egoism, ethno-fanaticism, with negative dynamics noted in terms of ethnic and social tolerance, ethno-nihilism, ethno-isolationism. On the one hand, the level of tolerance, respect for other nations, readiness for cooperation enhances; on the other hand, there is a risk of conflicts, autonomisation. It is thus necessary to create special pedagogic conditions for the development of intercultural tolerance and ethnic identity to the educational multicultural environment, based on taking into account national, socio-psychological, military service factors, as well as using the possibilities of the discipline ‟The Russian language”.