UDC 159.9.019.4:001.8(045)
Marchuk Larysa, PhD (Psychology), Associate Professor of Pedagogy and Psychology Department, SHEE “Uzhhorod National University”, 24, A.Shtefan Street, Uzhhorod, Ukraine, postal code 88008 (lmmar4uk@gmail.com)
ORCID 0000–0002–1905–3132
Sobol Nataliia, PhD (Pedagogy), Associate Professor of Foreign Languages Department, Khmelnytskyi National University, 4, Instytutska Street, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, postal code 29016, (sobolna@gmail.com)
ЕТНОКУЛЬТУРНА АСЕРТИВНІСТЬ ТА МІЖЕТНІЧНА ТОЛЕРАНТНІСТЬ В КОНТЕКСТІ ЗАКЛАДІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ
ETHNOCULTURAL ASSERTIVENESS AND INTERETNIC TOLERANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Abstract. The purpose of the article is to study the psychological features of ethnocultural assertiveness and interethnic tolerance in the context of higher education in Ukraine in the age of globalization, large-scale changes in various spheres of society, increasing migration processes in Ukraine. Research methodology involves the use of general scientific research methods: the analysis of scientific sources, comparison, synthesis, generalization, as well as observation. The scientific novelty of the article consists in the attempt to identify the psychological factors that provide constructive strategies for behavior in interethnic interaction in a modern higher education institution. Conclusions. The article reviews scientific sources in order to analyze the interpretation of the concepts under study by Ukrainian and foreign researchers, as well as to compare the features of assertiveness and tolerance. In particular, ethnocultural assertiveness is presented as the ability of a person to assert his (her) rights confidently and with dignity, while not degrading the rights of others; confident protection of his (her) interests or views, taking into account the interests of representatives of other nationalities. It is stated that the concept of “interethnic tolerance” can be considered in various aspects: as a kind of tolerance, based on the acceptance of “the other” belonging to a different ethnic group, as well as a personality trait that characterizes the spectrum of personal manifestations. Interethnic tolerance acts as a complex constituent quality of personality, which is expressed in tolerance of another's way of life, other people's customs, traditions, other feelings, thoughts and ideas. It is emphasized that the formed ethnocultural assertiveness provides an opportunity to assert one’s own rights, without limiting the interests of others. Assertive behavior is much more complex than tolerant behavior: if tolerant behavior involves a display of trust and respect for another person, an expectation of mutual respect, then assertive behavior requires not only a display of respect but also the ability to defend oneself from the intolerant behavior of others.
Priority directions of work on forming ethnocultural assertiveness of participants of the educational process in higher education, which will help to avoid conflicts arising on the basis of interethnic misunderstandings and improvement of interethnic relations in the conditions of higher education institutions of Ukraine are defined: cultivating in teachers and students interest and respect to their own cultures, the ability to protect it without harming the representatives of other cultures and without diminishing their national and cultural values; clear allocation of responsibilities during the learning process; purposeful nurturing of benevolent, constructive and trusting behavior; creation of conditions for cooperation of representatives of different ethnic groups, search for common interests and perspectives.
Key words: ethnoculture, intercultural communication, ethnocultural assertiveness, interethnic tolerance, intolerance, higher education institution.
Problem statement. The national composition of the population of Ukraine is characterized by a significant advantage of Ukrainians; however, along with Ukrainians in different regions of our country there are more than 100 other nationalities: Russians, Byelorussians, Moldavians, Poles, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Romanians, Crimean Tatars, Greeks, Tatars, Armenians, Gypsies, Gagauzes, etc. The radical changes that have taken place in the economy, politics, culture, sphere of interethnic relations, etc. have led to social instability. This could not but affect the institutions of higher education. Due to the military actions in the east of Ukraine, a considerable number of graduates from these regions choose universities in the center and in the west of the country, such a category of citizens as “internally displaced persons” has appeared, the system of admission according to the results of Exam Focus Complex Tests also contributes to the fact that a large number of students enter from other regions of the country. In recent years, the number of foreigners who come to Ukraine to study has increased, as well as the influx of migrant workers from the Commonwealth of Independent States and other foreign countries wishing to provide their children with higher education in Ukraine.
In such changes, one of the important conditions for building a positive relationship with representatives of other nationalities in universities is interaction based on understanding, respect for their views, opinions, traditions. At the same time, lack of sufficient practice of intercultural and interethnic contacts among teachers and students, lack of awareness in this area, and even outright hostility sometimes contribute to the formation of negative ethnic stereotypes, bias, which, often, leads to violence of one or another ethnic group.
All these factors require a thorough approach to the study of the features of interethnic tolerance and ethnocultural assertiveness, and determine the necessity in identification, analytic investigation and elimination of potential shortcomings, mistakes in the process of communication with representatives of other cultures. In our opinion, this determines the relevance of scientific research.
Analysis of recent research and publications. The research of scientific directions of problems of development of assertiveness and tolerance shows insufficiency of studying of this problem in a complex format. At the same time, some of its aspects are presented in a few studies of psychological, sociological, pedagogical, ethnological and philosophical directions.
Ukrainian and foreign scientists studied the theoretical foundations of assertiveness and tolerance, determined the conceptual and categorical structuring of this issue. Among the conceptual foundations it is necessary to note the works of such researchers as R. Abdeev, K. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya, E Balabanov, G. Ball, L. Belyaeva, A. Bodalev, S. Gerasina, A. Kirichuk, N. Kostina, G. Lozhkin, P. Lushin, S. Maksimenko, S. Medvedevа, L. Nikolaev, A. Pilipenko, L. Snegir, V. Moshennik, T. Yatsenko and others.
Studies of various aspects of assertive personality behavior are carried out in the works of N. Anufriev, E. Golovakha, A. Donchenko, I. Kon, M. Savchin, L. Sohan, V. Tatenko, T. Titarenko, A. Khokhlova, etc. Some scholars consider it a sense of inner need for freedom, adequacy of self and other participants in interpersonal interaction (A. Andrinko, S. Medvedeva) through clear planning of actions, expression of feelings, respectful cooperation with partners, bringing their position to them (V. Galitskiy, A. Melnik , V. Sinyavskiy). Problems of interethnic tolerance are also explored in the works of M. Baliashvili, A Griva, I. Danilyuk, L. Drobizhev, V. Yevtukh, L. Zalanovskaya, I. Zalesov, M. Mikhailova, L. Orban-Lembrik, M. Piren, A. Pogodin, P. J. Rose, G. Soldatov, M. Walzer, D. Hade, R. Shermerhorn, etc.)
The purpose of the publication is to show the difference between ethnocultural assertiveness and interethnic tolerance and demonstrate the relevance of the former as a tool for overcoming the potential shortcomings in the process of intercultural communication in the context higher education institutions.
Statement of the basic material. An objective condition for the effective functioning of any institution of higher education, which includes representatives of various ethnic groups, is interaction and communication between them: the exchange of cultural achievements, work on the development of joint educational projects and the like. However, anyone who engages in intercultural dialogue needs to firmly grasp that understanding and accepting a different culture begins precisely with an assessment of oneself and with respect for representatives of other ethnic cultures.
The term “ethnoculture,” which is an abbreviated version of the term “ethnic culture”, began to be widely used at the end of the 20th century. Numerous ethnocultural studies show that the nature and content of intercultural communication largely depends on the ability of their participants to understand each other and reach agreement. The latter is determined mainly by the ethnic culture of each of the interacting parties, the psychology of ethnic groups - participants in contacts. The basis for the definition of ethnoculture is its communicative phenomenology: ethnoculture is fully realized only through dialogue, intercultural communication and is a combination of traditional values, norms of human behavior and their relationships that have developed in the past, develop in historical sociodynamics and is constantly enriching with ethnic specificity the universal culture.
One of the most important features of an ethnocultural personality is the formation of national self-consciousness, which is a system of psychological settings that determine the ideas, attitudes, self-esteem and actions of a person in the main spheres: ethnic self-identification, communication, internal relationships and interethnic relations. In Ukrainian and foreign studies on ethnopsychology, sociology and pedagogy, the concepts of “ethnic tolerance”, “interethnic tolerance”, and “ethnocultural assertiveness” were formulated.
The term “ethnocultural assertiveness”, in contrast to the term “interethnic tolerance,” is relatively new, and therefore modern psychology, pedagogy, and sociology are gradually activating scientific and practical research of this phenomenon in the following areas: attitude, incentive to activity: perceived and evaluated socially significant objects fixed in the social experience of a person (group); the main strategies for the interaction of a person and social groups: the totality of the dominant features of human behavior in relations with other people, finding themselves in a particular social situation; the position of the actor in interaction: the partner position of participants in intercultural interaction as the basis for the organization of ethnocultural context; the decision-making process: a rational or irrational choice of alternatives, aims to achieve a conscious result; methods of behavior in any, including conflict, situation: a reaction that is expected from a person with a certain status; ways to resolve conflicts (direct / indirect): ways to achieve certain results (Andriienko, Kondratieva, 2016, p. 12).
In modern reference psychological sources one can find the definition of the term ethnocultural assertiveness – the ability of a person confidently and with dignity to defend their rights, while not degrading the rights of others; confident protection of their positions or views, taking into account the interests of representatives of other ethnic groups. Assertive personality has the ability to negotiate and find a compromise solution to the problem, such a person has a positive attitude to the environment, sensed perception of problem situations and adequate self-esteem (Halytskyi, 2004, p 6).
The specificity of the concept of “interethnic tolerance” is, first, that it is interpreted as a kind of tolerance, at the heart of which is the acceptance of the “other” conditioned by belonging to a different ethnic group. Ethnopsychologist N. Lebedeva believes that interethnic tolerance is “absence of negative attitude to another ethnic culture, or more precisely – presence of a positive image of another culture while maintaining a positive perception of one's own” (Lebedeva, 2002, p. 36). According to this definition, ethnic tolerance does not imply rejection of one's own culture, but is a characteristic of positive interethnic interaction, which underlies the equality of ethnic cultures and not the preference of one culture over another. Second, tolerance can be seen as a personality trait that characterizes the spectrum of personal manifestations, whereas interethnic tolerance is understood as a set of attitudes toward other ethnic group or groups. On this basis, tolerance as a personality trait is a more stable characteristics, and interethnic tolerance / intolerance, due to both internal and external factors, is therefore easier to change.
V. Krysko interprets the concept of “interethnic tolerance” as “the ability of a person to tolerate the little-known way of life of representatives of other ethnic communities, their behavior, national traditions, customs, feelings ...”, which is expressed in “endurance, self-control, the ability of the individual to endure for a long time unusual (or unpleasant) manifestations of the influence of another culture without reducing its adaptive capacity” (Krysko, 1999).
In the works of E. Shlyahina, interethnic tolerance is seen as a complex constituent formation of the individual, which is expressed in tolerance for other people's lifestyles, customs, traditions, feelings, thoughts and ideas (Shlyahina, 2001, p 124-131). So, being tolerant means being tolerant of “otherness”, of differences. You do not like the specific features of a particular ethnic group or a particular representative of that ethnic group, but in doing so, you must restrain yourself, endure, defeating the urges of aggression. Restraining aggression is a good quality, but it is not always possible to live in a society where you constantly have to restrain yourself, overcome negative emotions. Suppressed aggressiveness inevitably entails the accumulation of latent conflict, ready to break out at any moment. Challenges can be exacerbated by actors in a culture that seems alien and incomprehensible, and is therefore viewed as a potential threat to their own culture. In such circumstances, tolerant settings cause nothing but annoyance and exacerbate overall conflict tensions.
With persistent ethnic tolerance, any even minor situation related to the limitation of self-esteem will in some cases entail a number of conflicts; in others the reaction may be less painful. Instead, the assertive personality is able to protect and defend his or her interests without harming others, while ensuring normal fully functional interaction with the latter. It seeks to resolve conflicts and differences constructively; implies a willingness to cooperate on the basis of mutual values; readiness for cultural exchange and self-improvement; respect for dialogue in order to achieve greater interaction; the ability to turn friends and allies into communication partners and gain active support from them.
Assertiveness is always self-affirmation through constructive activity, acquiring skill of conflict-free communication. All authors agree that assertive behavior is the middle ground between aggressive and passive behaviors. Assertive behavior is intended to make the realization of one's own interests a condition for the realization of the interests of the subjects of interaction. Assertive behavior prevents conflicts and helps to find a constructive solution in a controversial situation. Assertiveness is the ability of the individual to defend his or her rights and interests, to achieve their personal goals, without degrading other people, but respecting and not violating their rights, interests and goals.
Ethnocultural assertiveness is the ability of an individual of any nationality to defend their interests while pursuing their goals without harming the other party. Moreover, the assertiveness of the person suggests that the realization of the interests of any person will be a condition for the realization of the interests of other people, as is the case in the strategy of cooperation and compromise (Markova, 2008).
The issue of assertive behavior is very closely linked to personal responsibility. In S. Staut’s definition “an assertive person is one who is responsible for his own behavior, demonstrates self-respect and respect for other people’s cultures. He is positive, listens, understands and tries to compromise” (Staut, 2002, p. 48). “At its core, assertiveness is a philosophy of personal responsibility: we are responsible for our own behavior and have no right to blame other people for our reaction to their behavior. For the effective solution of challenging situations such components of assertiveness as confidence and positive attitude, the ability to listen attentively and the desire to understand the other person's views are important (Staut, 2002, p. 22].
Assertive behavior is much more complex than tolerant behavior, if tolerant behavior involves a display of trust and respect for another person and expectation of mutual respect, then assertive behavior requires not only a display of respect but also the ability to defend oneself from the intolerant behavior of others. If expectations of tolerance on the part of others have failed, it is necessary to come to assertiveness.
Thus, in order to avoid conflicts arising on the basis of interethnic misunderstandings and improve interethnic relations in higher education institutions of Ukraine, it is necessary to work on the formation of ethnocultural assertiveness in the following directions: to cultivate in teachers and students the interest and respect for their own culture, values, thoughts and interests, to form the ability to protect them when necessary, without harming the representatives of other cultures and without diminishing their national and cultural values; clearly share responsibilities between partners during the learning process, which often requires reflection in specific instructions, rules or arrangements; purposefully nurture friendly, sincere, constructive, open behavior that can facilitate the transition to complete confidence in one another; create conditions for constructive cooperation of different ethnic groups representatives, search for common interests and prospects for further joint activities.
Conclusions. The theoretical analysis of the problem of ethnocultural assertiveness and interethnic tolerance in the context of higher education institutions convinces in its multidimensionality, relevance and necessity of systematic study. Ethnocultural assertiveness is the ability of an individual of any nationality to defend their interests while pursuing their goals without harming the other party. Tolerance is gradually replaced by assertiveness, which opens up great opportunities for improving the processes of intercultural communication and interethnic interaction in higher education contexts and leads to a higher level of development of communication skills of all participants in the educational process. Ethnocultural assertiveness enables every teacher and student to assert their rights without limiting the interests of a representative of another nationality. The consolidation of the relations of persons of different nationalities depends on their interests, life orientations, general culture, constructive interaction, desire for cooperation. The research revealed the need to study the problem of ethnocultural assertiveness in higher education institutions located in the multi-ethnic territories of the state located in the cross-border territories of Ukraine (Odesa, Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia and other regions), which is a priority direction for further work in the future.
СПИСОК ВИКОРИСТАНИХ ДЖЕРЕЛ І ЛІТЕРАТУРИ
Андриенко, Е.В., Кондратьева, Т.Н. (2016) Этнокультурная ассертивность в современном обществе и образовании: сб. науч. трудов ХII международной научно-практической конференции (сс.3-13). Новосибирск.
Галицький, В.М., Мельник, О.В., & Синівський В.В. (2004). Соціально-психологічний словник. Київ, 250 с.
Крысько, В.Г. (1999). Этнопсихологический словарь. Москва: Московский психолого-социальный институт, 343 с. Режим доступа: http://cult-lib.ru/doc/dictionary/ethnopsychology/index.htm 
Лебедева, Н.М. (2002) Теоретико-методологические основы исследования этнической идентичности и толерантности в поликультурных регионах России и СНГ. Идентичность и толерантность. (4), 35-36.
Маркова Н.Г. (2008) Формирование толерантности у молодежи как индикатора культуры межнациональных отношений. Режим доступа: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/v/formirovanie-u-molodezhi-tolerantnosti-kak-indikatora-kultury-mezhnatsionalnyh-otnosheniy-1 
Стаут С. (2002) Управленческий тренинг. Санкт Петербург: Питер, 153 с.
Шлягина,  Е.И. (2001). Этническая толерантность личности: опыт эмпирического исследования. Век толерантности. (3-4), 124-131.
REFERENCES
Andrienko, E.V., Kondrat'eva, T.N. (2016) Etnokul'turnaya assertivnost' v sovremennom obshchestve i obrazovanii [Ethnocultural Asserniveness in Modern Society and Education]. Abstracts of Papers '16: Russia – ХII International Scientific and Practical Conference. (pp.3-13). Novosibirsk. [in 
Halytskyj, V.M., Melnyk, O.V., & Synivskyj V.V. (2004). Sotsialno-psykholohichnyj slovnyk [Social and Psychological Dictionary]. Kyiv [In Ukrainian]
Krys'ko, V.G. (1999). Etnopsihologicheskij slovar' [Ethnopsychological Dictionary]. Retrieved from: http://cult-lib.ru/doc/dictionary/ethnopsychology/index.htm [In Russian]
Lebedeva, N.M. (2002) Teoretiko-metodologicheskie osnovy issledovaniya etnicheskoj identichnosti i tolerantnosti v polikul'turnyh regionah Rossii i SNG. [Theoretical and Methodological Foundations of the Study of Ethnic Identity and Tolerance in the Multicultural Regions of Russia and the CIS.]. Identichnost' i Tolerantnost'. (4), 35-36. [In Russian].
Markova N.G. (2008) Formirovanie tolerantnosti u molodezhi kak indikatora kul'tury mezhnacional'nyh otnoshenij. [The Formation of Youth Tolerance as an Indicator of the Culture of Interethnic Relations.] Retrieved from: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/v/formirovanie-u-molodezhi-tolerantnosti-kak-indikatora-kultury-mezhnatsionalnyh-otnosheniy-1 [In Russian]
Staut S. (2002) Upravlencheskij trening. [Management Training]. Saint Petersburg: Piter. [In Russian].
Shlyagina, E.I. (2001). Etnicheskaya tolerantnost' lichnosti: opyt empiricheskogo issledovaniya. [Ethnic Tolerance of an Individual: An Empirical Study.] Vek tolerantnosti. (3-4), 124-131. [In Russian].