Dialog of Cultures in Textbooks of Primary School: Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Cultural identity appears to be one of the highest values of contemporary society, accepted as the priority of contemporary and sustainable education. As a result of general globalization the school changes into the multicultural institution. Inasmuch as the topic of textbooks could support the formation of children's socio-cultural identity, the focus of the study would be the analysis of texts in primary school textbooks. The authors of the article studied the textbooks in Estonia and textbooks of neighbourhood countries Finland, Latvia and Czech Republic. The material of textbooks is analyzed on the axis 'your own – another' (supporting the belonging to your own culture vs opened to the international influences). There the analysis is carried out, how much the folklore of one's own nation and other nations is presented in language and music textbooks. The methodology of the study includes content analysis and source analysis. Remarkable differences in the choice of texts in textbooks of different countries will be pointed out as a result. There are countries which textbooks include the texts tending to support the formation of national identity only. Besides with these are the countries which textbooks from the early school years pay attention on the values of cultural diversity and formation of empathy towards other cultures. Comparative analysis of the text choice in textbooks of different countries and publishers leads to unexpected paradoxes of logic of formation of socio-cultural identity in primary school age. Key words: dialogue of cultures, socio-cultural identity, textbooks for primary school.