Tolerance - what is it. Types of tolerance

Tolerance - what is it?

A person is essentially unique, but in some ways people are similar, therefore they look for people like themselves, their hobbies, their religion. Belonging is important to the individual, given that humans are social creatures. Different nations have different mentalities, and what is acceptable in one country may cause a public outcry in another. What does tolerance mean in general terms?

Tolerance

In 1995, about 200 countries signed the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance, which states that tolerance is tolerance towards other religions, customs, cultures, diverse in their uniqueness and individuality. Accepting that harmony lies in all this diversity allows people to be respectful of each other and live in peace.

What does tolerance mean in other areas:

in medicine (pharmacology, narcology): the body becomes accustomed to a substance, which requires a large dosage to achieve the same effect;
in music: respectful attitude towards different styles and musical directions;
in ecology: the ability of biological organisms to develop in the environment, even under unfavorable factors.

Tolerance in psychology

This concept occupies an important place in psychology. Accepting people with their characteristics, without criticism and condemnation, allows you to build a trusting relationship with the client and is an element of psychotherapy. The psychological phenomenon of tolerance incorporates both scientific aspects and principles, as well as everyday ones:

Moral (conditional) - basically, contains delayed aggression. The tolerance of the “external self” is only on a superficial level: a person agrees with what is happening, but inside, he literally holds back, “seems.”
Natural (natural) - characteristic of young children and is expressed in their unconditional acceptance of parents without evaluation, unfortunately, it happens to their detriment if parents are cruel.
Moral (genuine) – based on full and conscious acceptance of reality. This is a mature and positive tolerance of the “inner self”. A spiritual attitude towards all manifestations of life and people and constant self-knowledge. All wise parables are based on morality.

The psychologist must develop this tolerance, the main criteria of which are:

emotional responsiveness (empathy);
ability for reflection, internal dialogue;
ability to establish constructive, positive relationships with people.

Tolerance in modern realities

As part of the worsening conflicts on the planet that have arisen due to different views on faith, on political decisions, on national assessments, the International Day of Tolerance 2019 becomes especially relevant. After all, millions of adults and children suffer from the consequences of military conflicts and terrorist attacks due to a lack of mutual understanding between people.

And only at first glance the course of history does not depend on the actions and actions of an ordinary person. If everyone makes their contribution to the creation of the world, says out loud how important it is to be loyal to their dissident brothers, and takes a step towards an imaginary enemy, the holiday will not be in vain.

Tolerance - pros and cons

The idea of this concept is fundamentally good for society, is this really so? Is peace and prosperity possible on earth without tolerance towards other peoples? The concept of tolerance can be interpreted and used by people in different ways, without regard to generally accepted and prescribed concepts. There are two sides to the coin.

Pros of tolerance:

helps to be humane;
teaches you to overcome fears through effective communication with other different people;
develops a correct understanding of the different self-expression of people with their habits, character, worldview and way of life;
promotes personal and social development through the transfer of experience and knowledge, through interaction among both individuals and nations as a whole.

Disadvantages of tolerance:

under the guise of tolerance, manipulation of people's consciousness, covered with good intentions;
a fine line between true tolerance and slavish patience, to the detriment of the individual;
replacing true concepts and values with false ones, through social technologies;
tolerance is perceived by some as indifference, unwillingness to perceive and fight.

The path to harmony with the outside world

The origin of the term “tolerance” is directly related to the name of an influential figure in French government circles at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries - Talleyrand-Périgord.

Prince Talleyrand was once one of Napoleon's close assistants. This man managed to retain the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs during repeated changes of power - revolutionary, Napoleonic and royal. He was indeed talented in many areas, but he was especially good at taking into account the opinions of outsiders, taking into account their character and personal qualities, treating them with respect and at the same time not changing his own principles, and smoothing over controversial issues without damage to all parties involved. He controlled the situation himself, and did not blindly obey circumstances and opponents.

Using the behavioral line of this politician as an example to follow, influential people in developed countries of our time urge the population of the whole world not to ignore the Day of Tolerance, but, on the contrary, to learn to be wise, loyal, merciful, compassionate and forgiving. After all, it is these qualities that help a person to be in constant harmony with the world around him and achieve success in all his endeavors, regardless of external factors.

How is tolerance different from forbearance?

Translated from the ancient Latin language, what tolerance is literally: “tolerantia” means “patience”, “endure”, “endure”. The explanatory dictionary positions the word “tolerance” as a derivative of the French “tolerant” - “tolerant”. In Russian, unlike other foreign languages, “tolerance” is a word with a clearly negative connotation, meaning to endure bad things, to endure hardships. However, tolerance and tolerance are different concepts.

Tolerance is a conscious refusal of society from open manifestations of hatred and hostility. At the same time, a person may internally experience strong negative feelings and protest. It is formed in a short time and can be imposed with the help of the media (for example, to resolve a conflict between different peoples). Tolerance is a social phenomenon that develops over a long period of time and presupposes a person’s lack of hostility and hostility towards other people who are different from him in various ways. In a society full of different cultures and nationalities, this is a necessary phenomenon.

Tolerance and rejection: what to choose

The level of social tolerance perfectly characterizes the state of society. In a developed and favorable society, conflicts for ethnic reasons are not common. Communication connections in a prosperous society are varied. Anyone is included in interpersonal interaction .

In a less developed and closed community, a person’s position depends not on his personal qualities, but on his formal status (religious, linguistic). We can talk about closed strata, isolated and hostile to each other. Aggression and social rejection are deliberately aroused and provoked. Hence the unhealthy environment, the feeling of insecurity and mutual rejection.

The less civilized a society is, the more formal demands it places on the individual. For example, deviation from generally accepted patterns in patriarchal times meant complete obstruction. Rejection and infringement of rights based on nationality were approved and supported.

Gradually the situation changed. At first, class contradictions were smoothed out somewhat. Formally, it was forbidden to openly infringe on the rights and expression of will of a representative of any social stratum. Then the equality of women and representatives of national minorities was recognized. Currently, racial prejudices are gradually becoming a thing of the past.

At the same time, the “collective unconscious” continues to generate more and more claims towards strangers, renegades and not like everyone else. Official declarations have difficulty finding a response, especially among the least educated and prosperous sections of society. Therefore, ideal conditions will never be achieved.

Tolerance and xenophobia

The word “xenophobia,” along with “tolerance,” is often heard in the media and is translated from Greek as “fear of strangers.” The thinking of a xenophobe is distinguished by a clear division into “us” and “strangers”. The unprecedented flow of migrants is perceived quite painfully and aggressively by the indigenous population: arriving foreigners behave differently, do not always want to learn a new language, and do not strive to learn the culture and customs of the country to which they migrated. Tolerance in the modern world, ideally, presupposes the absence of xenophobia, peaceful coexistence and development of different peoples.

Tolerance and conformism

Irreconcilable rejection does not always manifest itself only towards foreigners or people of other faiths.
Very often, serious battles occur in families between conventional fathers and children. Representatives of the older generation suppress manifestations of self-will and free-thinking. Young people consider their parents hopelessly backward. Behind the actions of the “fathers” there is a banal fear: the children will behave incorrectly, not like everyone else. And what will people say? Conformal, approved behavior is safer. It guarantees an impeccable reputation. For this, according to elders, one can sacrifice personal interests, goals, and personal growth. However, young people are not ready to make sacrifices and indulge their parents’ local ambitions. For them, the main thing is a comfortable internal state, and not a coveted place in the provincial hierarchy.

Types of tolerance

The basis of tolerance are the fundamental values of society, without which humanity cannot exist. Scientists of many specialties are engaged in the classification of tolerance. In an ever-changing world, issues related to religion, attitudes towards people with disabilities, interethnic, gender and political relations are relevant and “thorny”. Considering what tolerance is, each applied area voices its own typology. The main types of tolerance are most fully reflected by M. S. Matskovsky:

religious;
gender;
physiological;
educational;
sexual orientation;
geographical;
age;
marginal;
interclass;
interethnic;
racial;
political.

Religious tolerance

The religion of ethnic groups contains a sacred component that distinguishes it from other faiths. In past centuries, considering their religion to be the only true one, the rulers of different countries undertook military campaigns in order to convert people of other faiths to their faith. What is religious tolerance today? A person has the right to any religion accepted in his state, even if it does not belong to the dominant religion. Tolerance of other faiths is the key to peaceful interaction between people.

Tolerance for people with disabilities

Compassion and mercy for all living things are important human traits that are formed in childhood with proper upbringing by parents. Showing tolerance towards people with disabilities is, in the highest sense, assistance in the adaptation and socialization of a disabled person as a full member of society. Inclusive education and the provision of jobs are important components of tolerance.

Ethnic tolerance

Belonging to one’s own people, ethnic group, with the assimilation of centuries-old experience, traditions, and values is ethnic identity. What is tolerance in interethnic relations? This is a respectful attitude towards the way of life of other peoples. The problem of tolerance in multiethnic countries is of global importance. The flip side is that intolerance (intolerance) is increasingly becoming a reason for inciting ethnic hatred.

Gender tolerance

Regardless of gender, people deserve respect and equal rights - this is the answer to the question of what gender tolerance is. Tolerance in society regarding gender is an unstable phenomenon. Today, gender stereotypes are undergoing changes, and this is the reason for negative reactions in society and the development of phobias. Intolerance towards the other sex – sexism – is a discriminatory personal factor.

What date is Tolerance Day?

This date is the same for all countries of the world that have acceded to the UN General Assembly resolution. The holiday falls on November 16th. And it is on this day that tolerance and friendship are talked about in schools, work groups, and at public events.

The date was not chosen by chance. On November 16, 1995, the main document was adopted, designed to lay the foundations for universal understanding and respect. The “Declaration of Principles of Tolerance” called tolerance the only possible step towards achieving peace and harmony.

According to the UNESCO declaration, tolerance unites the main aspects of behavior of people around the world. It indicates the need:

accept the people around you as they are;
respect other cultures and nations;
appreciate the rich diversity of our world, which is so interesting precisely because all people are individual;
have a correct attitude towards opportunities and manifestations of self-expression;
do not interfere with others’ self-expression and individuality.

According to the creators of the declaration, the desire to change others, intolerance towards other cultural traditions is the main danger of modern society. In most countries of the world there are no longer any “pure” nations left. Societies are mixed due to population migrations. Multicultural societies are increasingly being formed, where only through tolerance are consent, friendly attitude, and with them the development of society possible. At the same time, intolerance leads to interethnic conflicts and wars, and therefore poses a threat to world order.

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Rules for constructive communication

The accumulation of experience in tolerant interaction is also successfully facilitated by special teaching of children the basics of constructive communication. Achieving this goal is best facilitated by communication training that develops students’ competence in establishing contacts with different people and develops their ways of overcoming communication difficulties. With the help of such activities, holding Tolerance Day at school will not cause big problems for its organizers. The main thing is that children must remember the following rules: learn to respect your neighbor; listen to what he says; tactfully defend your opinion; find suitable arguments; be fair; strive to take into account the interests of others.

Focus on proper upbringing

The leading task of modern educational policy is to cultivate tolerance among children, youth and young people. We propose to briefly consider the most effective pedagogical ways to develop this quality in schoolchildren during the educational process.

Joint creative activity is considered unambiguously favorable for the education of tolerance, especially if it has a socially significant meaning. The use of collective discussion of problems can also demonstrate excellent results. This approach will give each student the opportunity to enter into a conversation, express their own opinion, propose a solution to a certain problem, listen to others and reach a compromise. At the same time, the teacher should not be overprotective and openly manage the discussion process, which will hinder the development of relationships between children. Naturally, it is appropriate to plan such events for the Day of Tolerance, which will once again emphasize the importance of the general activities of the class team.