Abstract:

Relations between different ethnic minorities and the national state are often problematic in terms of both cultural interaction and political priorities. It is determined by various cultural-historical, socio-economic and political factors. Historically, Latvia has developed as a multi-ethnic country, where the proportion of various ethnic minorities has changed over time. The largest ethnic minorities are Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and Poles. Today, as the political situation in Europe worsens in connection with the war in Ukraine, tensions between various ethnic minorities and the Latvian nation often worsen. These tensions are based on the tragic history of the nation during the Soviet occupation. Today, it is exacerbated by political battles during elections, as well as a difficult economic situation that provokes conflicts. In such a situation, one of the most important goals of general education is to develop an inclusive and open society, whose representatives have well-developed intercultural communication competence.

The aim of the study is to examine different ways of teaching intercultural communication, analyzing textbooks and curricula in a diachronic perspective. Educational programs and textbooks reflect current problems of the society of the time. The first educational programs were created immediately after the declaration of Latvian independence - in 1920. In the conditions of the founding of a new state, the main focus of the curriculum was on the Latvian language, history, and the process of building the Latvian nation. Almost no attention was paid to intercultural communication. During the Soviet occupation, the government, through curricula and books, created the illusion of respecting the cultural heritage of the peoples living in the USSR and promoting intercultural dialogue. However, the analysis shows that the policy of Russification was actually introduced. As the state of Latvia was renewed the ideas of developing national identity became relevant again. However, joining the European Union actualized the idea of creating an inclusive and open society. The new curricula emphasize values such as tolerance, diversity, preserving and getting to know the cultural heritage of different ethnic groups. These values are developed in textbooks using different approaches and methods that are described in the article.

Keywords:

Intercultural communication, inclusive, open society, textbooks, curricula, youth.