The art of storytelling for cross cultural understanding

Abstract

Understanding and appreciating other cultures has long been a goal of many early childhood education programs. Yet, helping children develop an understanding and appreciation of other cultures is not easily achieved. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of fairytales and storytelling with young children to promote cultural understanding and peace education. We were interested specifically in understanding how children in a rural school in America would understand a Kuwaiti fairytale. After hearing two versions of the Cinderella tale, a familiar version and a Kuwaiti version, the children wrote their own story. The children’s stories reflected elements from both fairytales, yet showed each child’s unique interpretation of major themes, thus creating a dialogical narrative. Such experiences, we believe, can promote children’s understandings and appreciation of other cultures.