Multicultural Competence of University Students in Ukraine: Reality and Perspectives

Abstract

Abstract All the surveys have been done on the basis of the current global and domestic social situation analysis, as well as on available scientific work on the diagnosis and prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts among students. The contradictions between migration processes intensification and the reluctance of Ukrainian society as for the effective social integration of migrants and expats are characterized in the article. The contradictions between the avant-garde social role of students as a generator of new social standards and a significant number of inter-ethnic conflicts crimes of violence among students are also presented in the article. The monitoring of the problem of inter-ethnic conflicts among students as a community that must be perceived to uphold the progressive social values has been done. The problem contemporary students’ value perception of inter-ethnic harmony and their evaluation of the social surrounding in the inter-ethnic context; the level of multicultural competence of students of higher educational institutions as a factor in the prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts in the investigated environment are investigated in this article from the standpoint of the competence paradigm of socio-cultural activity. Based on the research data presented in the article, the thesis that the problem of inter-ethnic conflicts in the student environment is urgent, although it falls below the national average (40% and 44%, respectively) is confirmed. The defining thesis of author's research is the interpretation of multicultural competence as a component of social competence – a comprehensive personal quality based on tolerance, manifested in the ability to carry out effective dialogic interaction with representatives of the different culture or other ethnic background, and consists of value-motivational, cognitive and activity-behavioral blocks. The study was carried out in accordance with a set of characterized criteria and indicators of students’ multicultural competence formation in the context of inter-ethnic conflicts prevention. The results of the research revealed the leading reasons for the insufficient multicultural competence formation among respondents. They are: lack of inter - ethnic interaction practice; respondents' vague perceptions of the essence and social functions of multicultural competence; lack of a holistic state approach to the prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts; insufficient development of forms and experience on inter-ethnic conflicts prevention. The outlook for optimizing the problem of insufficient level of multicultural competence of university students in Ukraine are formulated at three levels: legislative, research and methodological. Keywords : multicultural competence, university, higher educational institution, students, prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts, globalization, ethno-religious context, international exchange.