'Conflict' in Textbooks

From one society to another, people attach different meanings to conflict and treat conflicts in different ways. Some generally seek to maintain consensus, while others are more prone to conflict. Some relate conflict with outsiders to domestic social consensus. Theories of sociology have promoted the idea that conflicts are a necessary part of democratic, pluralistic societies, which should nonetheless take place in an orderly manner, within institutional frameworks and free of violence.

Such an approach to conflicts is something that has to be learnt. Thus the notion of "conflict" finds its way into didactic discussions and textbooks. However, an approach focusing on conflict is not invariably considered to be a necessity because, for example, other pedagogical considerations often take priority.

Notions of conflict, which are part of a society`s self-image, find their way into textbooks on the basis of these pedagogical and didactic ideas. This research project aims to explore the ways in which this happens and the conclusions to be drawn about the self-understanding of a society as a result. It is assumed that comparisons over time reflect social change, while comparisons of regions may reflect different understandings of society. The results of this research have implications for the development of intercultural communication, because the way in which pupils learn the "proper" approach to conflictual situations structures their social interaction.

This subtopic is under construction.