Chapter 17: Globalism and Interculturalism – Where Global and Local Meet (original) (raw)
Related papers
Globalizing Knowledge: Connecting International & Intercultural Studies. The Academy in Transition
1999
This is the fourth in a series of occasional papers that analyze the changes taking place in U.S. undergraduate education. This essay examines two streams of reform on the campus and in the curriculum-internationalization and diversification-and suggests that these separate movements must come together in a new paradigm of higher education in which diversity would be taught as the historical result of multiple overlapping diasporas created by the evolving process of globalization. Concomitantly, an understanding of deeply different cultural and political perspectives from outside the United States would develop the intercultural skills students will need in an increasingly diverse and globally interdependent nation. Part 1 of the paper, "Separate Streams: The Legacy of American Exceptionalism," focuses on the internationalization of U.S. higher education, diversity, reconceptualizing identities and locations, globalization, diasporas, interculturalism, and positionality (identity politics). Part 2, "Educational Goals for U.S. Students in the Twenty-first Century," offers four interrelated goals that follow from the changes identified in part 1: understanding diverse cultures; developing intercultural skills; understanding global processes; and preparing for local and global citizenship. (Contains 56 references and 6 endnotes.) (CH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Globalizing knowledge : connecting international & intercultural studies
1999
This is the fourth in a series of occasional papers that analyze the changes taking place in U.S. undergraduate education. This essay examines two streams of reform on the campus and in the curriculum-internationalization and diversification-and suggests that these separate movements must come together in a new paradigm of higher education in which diversity would be taught as the historical result of multiple overlapping diasporas created by the evolving process of globalization. Concomitantly, an understanding of deeply different cultural and political perspectives from outside the United States would develop the intercultural skills students will need in an increasingly diverse and globally interdependent nation. Part 1 of the paper, "Separate Streams: The Legacy of American Exceptionalism," focuses on the internationalization of U.S. higher education, diversity, reconceptualizing identities and locations, globalization, diasporas, interculturalism, and positionality (identity politics). Part 2, "Educational Goals for U.S. Students in the Twenty-first Century," offers four interrelated goals that follow from the changes identified in part 1: understanding diverse cultures; developing intercultural skills; understanding global processes; and preparing for local and global citizenship. (Contains 56 references and 6 endnotes.) (CH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Globalizing Knowlege: Connecting International & Intercultural Studies
o u t this Se 0 T HIS SERIES OF OCCASIONAL PAPERS REFLECTS THE CONVICTION of AAC&U that, as the name states, we are witnessing The Academy in Transition. Change presents difficulties and opportunities for both individuals and institutions. For some, confusion, frustration, and fear cloud efforts to understand and gain control over events. For others, change is energizing, presenting opportunities, and calling forth creative responses. Still others find competing calls for change-conflicting agendas advocated by different individuals and organizations and uncertainty about the results of alternative courses of action-reason for continuing with practices that have worked in the past. The purposes of this series are to analyze changes taking place in key areas of undergraduate education and to provide "road maps" about the directions and destinations of the changing academy. Although we may still be on an uncertain journey, having a map increases the chances that we get to where we want to go, and it reduces the ambiguity.
Multiculturalism and Education: The Challenges of International Programs
Edited by Dr. Andrew Hall, 2014
It is a great pleasure to see the product of a continued effort made over past 5 years by the teachers of Kyushu University who have challenged the internationalization of the university. As a key element of the international courses, Kyushu University have organized International Education Center in Global 30 (G30) project that comprise 26 foreign teachers and 3 Japanese coordinators, and that have provided various courses taught in English. The working group members of Faculty Development for the Internationalization of Educating and the staff members of G30 Project Office have been trying to create and expand international community during 5 years. I would like to express my sincere gratitude towards all the presenters and participators of the FD meetings. In particular, Dr. Andrew Hall, the editor of this book, and the authors of 11 articles get their talks down in writing for future reference. My special thanks extend to these persons for their contributions.
Radical Theory, Radical Teaching: Multiculturalism in American Universities
American Studies in Scandinavia, 1993
Europeans have always had good reasons to think that the United States of America is an extension of Europe, at least spiritually. It is mainly because the white population of that country has roots in Europe, which means that their culture has a European background as well. Due to its economic and military power, cultural, technological and scientific innovations the TJnited States has become the stronghold of the West, and is considered so in other parts of the world as well. It might be a surprise to those who consider the US as a symbol of the West that influential intellectual trends are emerging in that country today which challenge the western cultural tradition and its aesthetic values, seeking to radically reevaluate the history of the country, and reform the curricula of high schools and colleges accordingly. The ensuing debates in American universities and the academic community at large over the canon of works that undergraduates should study, over issues involving race and gender and over new forms of literary criticism are all linked by the assumption that Western values are inherently oppressive, that the chief purpose of education is political transformation, and that all standards are arbitrary. This assumption is expressed in
The teaching and learning environment perspectives are still quite seldom addressed in research or policy related documents of embracing diversity in higher education. A gap still seems to persist between policy and practice in this area however. As part of the emerging pattern of embracing diversity, more attention should be paid to the changing teaching and learning contexts. We need to consider ‘curriculum and international programs enhancement’ perspective and also, the perspective of ‘teaching and learning practices’ when referring to the concrete effects of internationalisation in higher education institutions and in teaching-learning environments. The former represents the teaching community and teaching unit level where the shared interpretations of the goals of internationalisation are being made and concrete planning on international study modules or joint degrees are formulated. The latter, in turn, stresses the changing circumstances and diversity issues in teaching and learning situations faced by teachers, which call for novel ways of teaching, learning and assessment in diversified environment as well as new ways of student support and guidance for internationalising teaching units. An ethnocentric approach has so far often prevailed in international pedagogy; university teachers in Europe have largely perceived that their pedagogical practices are superior to those of other countries, and international students have been expected to adapt to university classroom practices. All these effects influence the ways in which teachers in higher education institutions are able to cope with diversity and multiple cultural identities and to avoid the stereotyping, which accompanies perceiving someone through a single identity. This calls for development of their intercultural competence, which means the ability to ensure a shared understanding by people with different socio-cultural identities, and their ability to interact and build dialogue with learners as complex human beings with multiple identities and values. It also calls for reflecting on their own individuality and cultural roots when encountering cultural diversities. Discursive aspects and different forms of academic discourses shape the identity construction of students with diberse ethno-cultural backgrounds. International study experience provides opportunities for students’ self-reflection and socio-emotional development through experiences of participating in the academic community. But in addition to that there is now a strong need to foster teachers’ awareness of ‘situated identities’, i.e. understanding that identities are constantly evolving in various settings through social interaction. HE4u2 showed that although teaching staff demonstrate professional responsibility towards students with diverse ethno-cultural background, in practice these students are often marginalized and portrayed as academically less capable than local students. Consequently, higher education institutions should aim to foster intercultural competencies of the staff and develop inclusive international programmes which enable full and equal participation of all members. Intercultural competence basically involves understanding all aspects of culture, but particularly those related to the social structure of community and values and beliefs of its members, how they interact, as well as their ways of thinking and acting. The conceptualization of intercultural competence development and, further, its effects for pedagogical practices has raised ample discussion and different interpretations from multiple perspectives. Various pedagogical models have been proposed aiming at improving international competences. For instance, a process-oriented model of intercultural competence development, shows the multi-dimensional nature of the development. The development of intercultural competence begins with individual attitudes and moves from attitudes towards the interactional level and desirable outcomes between individuals. The degree of intercultural competence depends on the extent of attitudes, knowledge and skills acquired, where the essential determinants include many necessary features in intercultural interaction, such as openness, curiosity, discovery, cultural self-awareness, deep cultural knowledge and abilities to observe, listen, analyse, interpret and relate. Another example is that of the global citizenship model, meaning how individuals see themselves in the world and recognizing, as well as respecting, otherness in a globalising context. The development towards seeing the self-in-the-world takes place, for instance, in the rich encounters during student mobility where active participation in international teaching and learning communities takes place and the role of the campus community is pivotal. We need to draw attention to the ways in which not only ethno-culturally diverse students, but also their teachers and administrative staff experience a transition process similar to that of sojourners living in a new cultural setting. The culture shock stage university staff´s levels of anxiety increased when they encountered unfamiliar norms and beliefs, and some of them resorted to stereotyping. However, as the HE4u2 project has shown, in the adjustment phase they were able to revise their practices to better meet a diverse student body, treat ethno-culturally diverse students as individuals and overcome communicative misunderstandings. While there have been several studies exploring increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in higher education and related challenges, these studies have only seldom focused specifically on teaching and learning in transnational education. Transnational teaching differs considerably from teaching international students ´at home’ because teachers have to work in culturally different environments. One of the challenges related to transnational education is cultural situatedness and the embeddedness of learning and teaching activities. One needs to reflect upon how this situatedness affects pedagogic activities and learning outcomes in transnational education. Teaching staff engaging in education export need to contemplate their cultural backgrounds and assumptions as well as pedagogical styles and assessment practices. Transnational teaching challenges academic roles and identities, and can lead to transformation processes through critical reflection on existing teaching practices. Yet these processes would need more support from higher education institutions. In addition, there is a need for additional research on the experiences of both teachers and students engaged in transnational education. Comparisons could be made between local multicultural learning environments and those created by education export. While many transnational development projects in the field of education aim to modify and improve existing teaching practices, reported changes may only be temporary or superficial. Yet not all resistance to change, such as unwillingness to modify pedagogical practices or to use new technology, should be related to cultural factors but rather also take into account individual motivations and beliefs.