Ana Canen

Looking at multiculturalism in international logistics: an experiment in a higher education institution

This article is an experiment carried out in a Brazilian higher education institution. It focusses on the participants’ perceptions and assumptions concerning multiculturalism before and after the exposure to a multicultural seminar, held during an international logistics module. It deals with the theoretical approach to logistics and multiculturalism, and its relevance in the contemporary world. It discusses the data gathered. It argues that a multicultural approach should be developed in organisations, pointing out that the handling of cultural differences seems to be one of the most relevant factors in the success or in the failure of companies in a globalised setting. It also contends that the university is a privileged arena for the development of this approach. Points are raised for a multicultural approach to logistics and management education.

Innovation management education for multicultural organisations: challenges and a role for logistics

This paper aims to discuss ways for fostering innovation management and innovation in management education sensitive to cultural diversity. It explores strands in the literature concerning cross‐cultural awareness and undertakes a case study, carried out in a multicultural organisation, aimed at pinpointing challenges faced by managers working in such environments. Argues that logistics could help understanding, sensitising and taking into account cultural diversity in management education. Also claims that cultural plurality is an asset, rather than a constraint. The article concludes by suggesting possible ways ahead in the development of culturally sensitive managers in an increasingly globalised but also highly multicultural world.

UNIVERSOS CULTURAIS E REPRESENTAÇÕES DOCENTES: SUBSÍDIOS PARA A FORMAÇÃO DE PROFESSORES PARA A DIVERSIDADE CULTURAL

In a context of unequal sociocultural relationships in society, school has produced the exclusion of the groups whose cultural backgrounds do not match the prevailing ones. Based on the literature in the area and on an ethnographical case study carried out in a public primary school, the present research aims to: discuss different approaches for teacher education in a multicultural society; identify the cultural backgrounds of the pupils who go to school, according to teachers perceptions in everyday schooling; pinpoint pedagogical practices which foster the expression of cultural diversity; and incorporate such reflections in proposals and suggestions for teachers education aimed at the celebration of cultural plurality and at a project of changing school failure.

Multicultural leadership: The costs of its absence in organizational conflict management

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of organizational conflict management from a multicultural perspective in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach – Besides a theoretical discussion about multiculturalism and leadership, a case study based extensively, but not exclusively, on oral history has been undertaken within a unit of a HEI in Brazil. The case study, which illustrates the cost when multicultural leadership is absent, is based on a combination of first‐hand information and facts reconstruction. Findings – The research discussed in this paper showed that the system of constructing “otherness” and isolating it can actually be characterized as workplace bullying condoned by extremely mono‐cultural leaders. An alternative scenario with more multiculturally competent leaders is discussed, providing possible tools and avenues for organizational conflict management. Practical implications – HEIs should be viewed as multicultural organizations, not only for the purpose of developing multicultural curricula but also for reviewing the impact of institutional practices and leadership on the organizational climate. Leaders should be ethically and multiculturally accountable for ensuring an institutional identity that is open to cultural plurality and to the challenge of the institutionalization of differences. Originality/value – This paper goes beyond multicultural issues restricted to individual and group identities and incorporates institutional cultural climate and the role of multicultural leaders in organizational conflict management in the context of HEIs, hitherto not much discussed, which may open up new debates in the area.

Multicultural competence and trust: a new road for logistics management?

The present paper aims to discuss the concept of competence from a multicultural perspective, for organisational success. It argues that models that view competence as a sum of competencies for management development within organisations could benefit from a multicultural perspective that put those competencies within the context of cultural sensitivity and understanding, so as to promote a trustworthy organisational environment crucial for any institutional change for competitive edge. It analyses theoretical approaches to the concept of competence in organisations, focusing particularly on those that take into account multicultural concerns and the need for building trust within organisational environments. It then addresses the meanings of competence as understood by executives acting in some organizations in Brazil, depicting emphases and silences in those discourses, as well as implications for logistics and management decision in a multicultural perspective.

Logistics and cultural diversity: hand in hand for organisational success

Provides a rationale for looking at logistics and cultural diversity from a global “intercultural” perspective, and proposes this view as a potential tool for sensitizing logistics managers to cross‐ concerns. Concludes that any firm which embraces this concept by understanding cultural differences and going beyond cultural boundaries will reap increased organizational performance.

Multiculturalism and a Research Perspective in Initial Teacher Education: Possible Dialogues:

This article describes action research within a multicultural pedagogical praxis orientation in a teacher education course at a higher education institution in Brazil during the academic year 2003. The narrative draws on the ways in which the course sought to develop a research perspective that could equip student teachers with elements that allow them to interrogate the constructions of social and cultural inequalities, as well as of the process of research itself and the impact of the researcher as a multicultural identity. The meanings, potentials and challenges of the research undertaken are discussed and should be relevant comparatively, not only because they highlight tensions of multiculturalism and seek to refine the concept of multicultural research, but also because local narratives reflect imbricated global issues that go beyond national borders, particularly concerning the role of research within teacher education in highly multicultural countries.

A pesquisa multicultural como eixo na formação docente: potenciais para a discussão da diversidade e das diferenças

Ensaio: aval. pol. públ. Educ., Rio de Janeiro, v. 16, n. 59, p. 297-308, abr./jun. 2008 * Versão preliminar deste trabalho foi apresentada na Sessão Especial : Diversidade, Diferença e Formação Docente, 30a Reunião Anual da ANPEd, outubro de 2007, Caxambu, Minas Gerais ** PhD em Educação, University of Glasgow; Professora da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Pesquisadora do CNPq. E-mail: acanen@globo.com Resumo O presente artigo argumenta que a compreensão da pesquisa como fenômeno multicultural pode tornar a articulação ensino-pesquisa mais impactante na formação de professores, Desenvolve o argumento, propondo quatro dimensões centrais nessa perspectiva: a compreensão dos futuros professores e professores formadores como identidades culturais plurais de pesquisadores em ação; o incentivo às discussões dos temas educacionais em termos de vozes silenciadas e representadas, analisando tensões entre universalismo e valorização da diversidade; a apresentação dos professores em formação a metodologias plurais de pesquisa; a análise das identidades institucionais ou organizacionais onde se processa a formação docente e sua articulação à perspectiva de pesquisa, problematizando relações desiguais de poder e lutando para que essas instituições se constituam em instituições ou organizações multiculturais. Palavras-chave: Formação de professores. Multiculturalismo. Pesquisa multicultural.El articulo discute que la comprension de la investigacion como un fenomeno multicultural puede llevar a una articulacion entre educacion-investigacion de mas impacto en la formacion de profesores. Este trabajo desenvuelve la discusion proponiendo cuatro dimensiones centrales: la comprension de los futuros profesores y de los profesores formadores como identidades culturales plurales de investigadores en accion; el incentivo a las discusiones de los temas educacionales en termino de voces silenciadas y representadas, analizando las tensiones entre universalismo y valorizacion de la diversidad; la presentacion de la metodologia plural de investigacion a los profesores en formacion; el analisis de las identidades institucionales o organizacionales donde se construye la formacion del profesor y su articulacion a la perspectiva de investigacion, colocando como problema las relaciones desiguales de poder y luchando para que esas instituciones se organicen en instituciones o organizaciones multiculturales.

Em busca de um diálogo entre Plano Nacional de Educação (PNE), formação de professores e multi/interculturalismo

O presente artigo se propoe a analisar como as propostas multi/interculturais estao refletidas no texto do PNE 2011-2020. Argumentamos que uma educacao multi/intercultural pode contribuir para a construcao de uma educacao que valorize e reconheca as multiplas culturas presentes no cotidiano e, sobretudo, promover uma interrelacao entre as diferentes identidades culturais. Defendemos a relevância desta analise, apoiados em argumentos a partir de autores que nos mostram a centralidade da cultura em nossos tempos. Com isso, destacamos como se da a expansao dos determinantes associados a cultura a partir da segunda metade do seculo XX, e como ela tem assumido uma posicao central na vida dos sujeitos, em processos globais de formacao e mudanca. Por isso, torna-se de fundamental importância refletir como o PNE (Plano Nacional de Educacao) esta incorporando as questoes propostas pelo multi/interculturalismo, principalmente aquelas relativas a formacao de professores/as. Concluimos, reconhecendo que e essencial que os cursos de formacao docente inicial e continuada desenvolvam as discussoes sobre o multi/interculturalismo, no horizonte de uma educacao critica, para a superacao de desigualdades, exclusoes sociais, preconceitos e modelos hegemonicos monoculturais de educacao.El presente articulo se propone analizar como las propuestas multi/interculturales estan reflejadas en el texto del Plan Nacional de Educacion (PNE) 2011-2020. Argumentamos que una educacion multi/intercultural puede contribuir para la construccion de una educacion que valorice y reconozca las multiples culturas presentes en el cotidiano y sobre todo promoviendo una interrelacion entre las diferentes identidades culturales. Defendemos la relevancia de este analisis apoyados en autores que nos muestram la centralidad de la cultura en nuestros tiempos. Con esto, destacando como se da la expansion de todo lo que esta asociado a cultura a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XX y como esta ha asumido una posicion central en la vida de los sujetos en el proceso global de formacion y cambio. Por eso, se torna de fundamental importancia reflexionar sobre como el PNE esta incorporando las cuestiones propuestas por el multi/interculturalismo, principalmente en las cuestiones relativas a la formacion de profesores(as). Concluimos reconociendo que es esencial que los cursos de formacion inicial y continua desarrollen las discusiones sobre el multi/interculturalismo con el objetivo de desarrollar una educacion critica para la superacion de la desigualdad y la exclusion social, del preconcepto y del modelo hegemonico y monocultural de educacion.

Multiculturalismo e educação inclusiva: contribuições da universidade para a formação continuada de professores de escolas públicas no Rio de Janeiro

A presente pesquisa parte do argumento de que a educacao inclusiva poderia beneficiar-se da perspectiva multicultural, que questiona formas de ocultacao das diferencas de modo a desafiar preconceitos e processos de exclusao de grupos socioculturais oprimidos, no contexto educacional. Nesse sentido, o objetivo foi compreender possibilidades dessa articulacao tanto em nivel teorico, como a partir da analise de uma experiencia extensionista de formacao continuada para coordenadores pedagogicos, na rede estadual de educacao do Rio de Janeiro, tomada como estudo de caso. Para tanto, explicitamos as bases teoricas do estudo e, em seguida, analisamos os dados da pesquisa, em termos das visoes iniciais dos docentes sobre a tematica; o teor do curso contido nos materiais; os debates realizados; a avaliacao final dos potenciais e os desafios suscitados. Os resultados indicam a fertilidade das acoes extensionistas da universidade na configuracao da formacao continuada para uma educacao inclusiva multicultural.