異文化教育における学習援助者の育成 : ジャーナル・サポート・ネットワークの構築に向けて

First of all, the paper discusses the definition of a transcultural mediator and the significance of educating people in order to obtain competent transcultural mediation. Although many professional discussions of transcultural education in Japan are focused upon the issues of international and/or multi-ethnic education, the author stresses that transcultural education should cover not only international and multi-ethnic issues, but also include all the tensions and conflicts in every sphere of society which are always present between the people from a mainstream culture and those who differ. Thus a transcultural mediator not only deals with foreigners and ethnic minorities, but also is capable of interacting with those who are isolated from the mainstream culture. Secondly the differences between intercultural competence and the competence of the transcultural mediator are clarified, and the various kinds of cross-cultural education at Japanese universities are also examined. For example, many instructors of intercultural education are eager to raise topics of cross-national and multi-ethnic problems in their classes, but many students perceive these to be problems of the different/strangers. Students hardly perceive them either as their own problems to be solved urgently, or as problems which may arise in the future. This type of education encourages adult learners to avoid the important issues and provides psychological separation from cross-cultural conflicts. It inculcates attitudes of indiffence among young adults towards cross-cultural problems. There is no doubt that this attitude of indifference in the general public towards cross-cultural problems is one of the most serious problems in our society. In order to educate young people to develop their competence of cognitive-affective-enactive understanding transcultually, new avenues of transcultural education should be opened. Especially vulnerability and the ability to discover the problems in their own behaviors and their style of thinking are significa