Scholarly record

TO WHAT EXTENT ARE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OF HUMANITIES IN SLOVAKIA THEORETICALLY PREPARED FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION? THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRESOV IN PRESOV

M. Zavis, R. Soltes

Abstract

The aim of our research was to find out, to what extent are university students of humanities at the University of Presov theoretically prepared for intercultural communication. The research was conducted at three faculties of this university: Greek-Catholic Theological Faculty, Faculty of Orthodox Theology and Faculty of Education. We have chosen the quantitative method of survey, which consisted of twelve questions related to topics of family and reproductive health in Islam. We have formulated three research hypotheses. We assumed, that students will have better knowledge of traditional conception of marriage and family in Islam than of current attitudes of Muslims towards questions connected to admissibility of using the methods of assisted reproduction, genetic engineering in the case of elimination of the chromozome, which is the carrier of genetically transmitted disease, or of admissibility of the interruption. This assumption has been confirmed. The second hypothesis about Muhammad’s attitude towards feminine infanticide has not been confirmed, and therefore it has not been shown, that students are prone to agree with the claim, that the answer to this question of it’s performance is upon personal decision of the father. The third hypothesis on the usage of the methods of assisted reproduction, genetic engineering in humans and interruptions, claimed, that the results would show those concepts, which are normally rooted in our culture and that say, that religious faith excludes, respectively does not accept helping humans by the scientific progress, has been confirmed. Our research was based on the project Bioethics of Reproductive Health in Islam: Basis, Discussion and Challenges, VEGA num. 1/0585/18, which is unique both regarding contemporary Slovak research, its past research and that of overall European context. The research on the topic of theoretical preparedness for intercultural communication has been conducted by us at five Slovak public universities. In this article we present the results of one of these. Our research has an ambition to point out, that there is deficiency of theoretical recourses and knowledge, that are inevitable for building intercultural competencies and pursuance of intercultural communication in university students of humanities, hence those, which should be an example for the whole academic community. In the conclusion we critically evaluate the causes of this situation and offer some suggestions for its improvement.

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