Investigating student perceptions of multiculturalism and developing their intercultural communication competence

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Based on the foundation study in 2021, it found that Japanese youth clearly showed a nationalistic ethnocultural homogeneous tendency by emphasising cultural and ethnic uniqueness; this tendency also affected their assimilationist attitudes towards immigrants in their society. Meanwhile, Korean students have also shown a similar reaction towards multiculturalism in Korean society. The results of the Korean Identity Survey in 2010 and 2015 revealed the groups aged between 20-30 years unexpectedly showed the most decreased support for multiculturalism and those aged in their 20s were also most readily adopting a culturally exclusive attitude. With these results, it is pointed out that the relative drop-in support for multiculturalism is not because of fear of crime or unemployment caused by immigrants but does mark “the beginning of the cultural exclusion of others in society.” Considering these situations in Japan and Korea, this study tried to understand Japanese and Korean students’ perceptions and attitudes towards multiculturalism in their respective societies. Accordingly, this study measured their national pride along with the students’ nationalist attitudes and their perception of globalization. In addition, this study paid attention to the youths’ perceived prerequisites for accepting immigrants as full members of society and evaluate their perceptions and attitudes towards multiculturalism in Japan and Korea. This study eventually investigated any relationships between the result of these measurements and their national identities and cultural traits.