Incorporating religion when teaching cultural diversity issues in public administration

Abstract

The world of governance is changing rapidly and the pluralisation of worldviews is fast becoming a prevalent feature of the public sector. Societal worldviews are closely intertwined with governance. Therefore, prospective public officials need to be sensitive to the potential influence of cultural diversity matters and religious perspectives when executing public policy. Students of Public Administration should be able to grasp these challenges and prepare for them. It is the premise of this article that due to the heterogeneous nature of the population of South Africa, teaching of cultural diversity (e.g. ethics, values, religion, morality, traditions, behaviour, etc.) should form an indispensable part of any curriculum of academic programmes for Public Administration. The purpose of this article is, therefore, to reflect on the necessity of incorporating teaching on cultural diversity in Public Administration, particularly considering the contribution that various religious perspectives could make. Finally, instructional strategies are recommended to inculcate and foster tolerance, understanding, and sensitivity in Public Administration teaching and its learning environments.