Alexander Agafonov

Tolerance and Intolerance of Russian Educators Alexander Agafonov

Tolerance is important for every society, yet it gains special urgency in nations that undergo the transition from authoritarian to democratic regimes. This book examines attitudes toward social, political, and moral diversity of future educators from Russia, a country which entered the 21st century facing a difficult choice: to continue along the path of adopting the liberal and pluralistic societal model of established democracies; or, once again, turn to its centuries-old authoritarian traditions. Quantitative methods are used to determine the attitudes of educators toward diversity, the level of consistency in their attitudes, and the correlates of future teachers' tolerance. This book has several potential audiences: researchers, education policy makers, and practitioners, i.e., teachers and educational administrators. Policy implications are clear: if Russia is to build a democratic society, it needs to ensure that its educators gain a solid foundation in tolerance and convey more tolerant attitudes to their students. Otherwise, mass intolerance is likely to continue in Russia which can lead to a rebirth of the most reactionary, xenophobic, and chauvinistic types of ideas.