Cultural-linguistic relativism as the foundation of peace education

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a theoretic-pedagogical research, which objective was to analyze the peace education from complex thinking and the cultural-linguistic relativism approach through a documentary-bibliographic study. Authors found, that the cultural-linguistic relativism approach must be considered as the epistemological basis of peace education. Its main postulate regarding the equitable articulation of different without a hegemonic center (or universality point); the recognition of the difference and the fairness of the differences; the admission as valid of any practice by the mere fact of being the production of a social group, modulates the pedagogical actions aimed at the development of student´s logical pluralism and interculturality, consequently, of the peace culture. Since logical pluralism is achieved from the encounter of diverse visions and social, economic, political and cultural practices, the indispensable condition for this process to occur is interculturality. The cultural-linguistic relativism intones the correct understanding of each other by interpreting cultural manifestations according to their own cultural criteria, trying to understand the symbolic complexity of cultural practices, trying to moderate an inevitable ethnocentrism that leads to interpreting the cultural practices of others from of the interpreter´s culture criteria; helps to achieve internal and external peace: participation, dialogue and cooperation, changing patterns of behavior in conflicts; supports respect for the life and dignity of each person, without discrimination or prejudice; effective equality of rights and obligations (ethnic, class, regional, gender, sexual, economic, etc.); it allows the acquisition of unusual ways of acting, making decisions (logical pluralism).