Psychosocial Processes that Facilitate Unity and Interdependency: Contemplation for Research Development

Abstract

The need for us, as educators, to cultivate and encourage a climate of unity, harmony, and prosperity in educational and non-educational settings is pertinent. Conflict resolution in teaching and learning in educational settings, for example, is a feat that may be achieved via different methodological means. In this article, we provide an account of our teaching and research experiences in the Republic of Fiji Islands. Fiji is a developing country that is located in the South Pacific region, consisting of two major ethnic groups: Indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. It is a unique country, but yet marred by financial insecurities, political instability, and ethnic and racial tension. Many Indo-Fijians often face and experience prejudiced and discriminatory views and actions by Indigenous Fijians and other Pacific Islanders. This reflective discourse, differing from our previous published work (Phan, 2007; Phan & Deo, 2007, 2008), is a personal methodological narrative that detailed the effectiveness of our pedagogical strategies in the promotion and enhancement of harmony and unity between people. We discussed, specifically, the inclusion of Bandura's (1997) personal self-efficacy theory, and how this qualitative examination and reporting of 'evidence' may, in fact, provide a premise and scoping for additional research into unsettled sociocultural settings.