The Effect of Social Structure of Education on Ethnocentrism of Students

Contemporary theoretical approaches have emphasized the role of education in general and higher education in particular in strengthening public communicative actions, social responsibility, and social solidarity, producing new social capital, and moderating social and cultural particularism. However, it is necessary to reflect on the status of cultural and ethnic particularism in the universities and the success of the social structure of education in moderating ethnocentrism. Thus, the present paper, using survey as its method of research, aimed at investigating the role of social structure of education in moderation of ethnocenterism in the universities of Sanandaj city. The population of the research consisted of all the students of universities of Sanandaj, including State, Azad, and Payam Nour universities, in the academic year of 1390-91 (2011-12). Total 600 students were selected based on Cochran's method of sample estimation and using Stratified random sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The results of the data analysis indicated that the mean score of ethnocentrism (total sample) was 54.15, which was determined based on a 0-to-100 scale. According to the results of the study, the variables of student's academic age, interactional learning, social interactions, and associational relationships have negative impacts on ethnocenterism, and are responsible for 40 percent of moderation of ethnocenterism among students. At the end of the paper, the implications of the results and findings of the research for peaceful management of cultural changes in university settings is discussed.