Culture and Way of Life (5cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Objective

Students learn to examine relationships between individuals, communities and societies at global, national and local level. They can describe meanings that cultures and ways of life can have in the construction of the individual's identity. Students learn to explain the concepts of multiculturalism and diversity. They learn to describe and analyse relationships between minorities and majorities, describe the global migration and, especially, refugeeism as a general phenomenon and individual experience. Students learn to describe discrimination, prejudice and racism, and identify underlying factors. They examine their national and ethnic identity and preparedness to encounter ethnic and cultural diversity. They independently seek and evaluate the reliability of information about multiculturalism, ethnic minorities and global migration. Students become aware of different perspectives and justifications pertaining to these issues and use the existing knowledge to form an informed opinion.

Content

- states and nations, forms of ethnic and cultural diversity, cultural differences, majorities and minorities
- global migration, immigration, refugees
- the concepts of multiculturalism and diversity, alternatives to a multicultural society, acculturation, contact and conflict theory
- national and ethnic identity, stereotypes and prejudices, orientalism, racism
- the effect of immigration and minority role on the individual's identity
- levels of examining difference
- multicultural competence and cultural sensitivity

Materials

Hiitola, Anis ja Turtiainen 2017. Maahanmuutto, palvelut ja hyvinvointi.
Teacher's material in Moodle.
Students will receive a list of literature or documentary material to choose from at the beginning of the course.

Teaching methods

multimodal learning, including classroom hours, independent study and worklife learning

Employer connections

the course includes practice

Student workload

133 hours
- 44 hours in the classroom
- 63 hours of independent study
- 26 hours of learning at work

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Students recognise and locate global processes, which cause migration and refugeeism. Students recognise the contents of the key concepts, know about alternatives to a multicultural society and acculturation and are for the main part able to describe the relationships between ethnic groups in Finland and in their locality. Students are able to find up-to-date information about relationships between ethnic groups and are aware of different perspectives and value justifications. Students are able to formulate and justify an opinion on one of the issues discussed. Students can describe the experiences of a person belonging to a minority. They can describe their own ethnic identity and factors connected with its development. Students can name a concrete aim of how to develop their intecultural competence.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Students competently describe the relevat concepts, for example discussing migration and refugeeism caused by global processes. They find plenty of information about relationships between ethnic groups and use the information to present and justify their opinions. With help of the concepts, students analyse the experiences of a person belonging to an ethnic minority. . Using the relevant concepts, students reflect on their own ethnic identity and the factors that influence its development. Students describe and justify concrete aims of how to develop their intercultural competence.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Students analyse the global processes that underlie migration and refugeeism. They critically evaluate the key concepts of the item. Students are able to connect individual people's experiences as members of minorities with the social background factors. Competently using the concepts, students extensively reflect on their ethnic identity and the factors that influence its development. Students express their aims concerning the development of their intercultural competence, they use the concepts learnt during the course and justify their aims extensively.

Qualifications

previous studies are not required