scholarly journals Cosmopolitanism: Rethinking the Agenda of Education Abroad

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 72-98
Author(s):  
Brian Whalen ◽  
Michael Woolf
Keyword(s):  
International Education ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Global Citizenship ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Education Abroad ◽  
Cultural Relativity ◽  
Comprehensive Internationalization ◽  
Special Relevance

Cosmopolitanism is an ambiguous and inherently paradoxical notion.  Because of the complexities it raises, it generates analyses and discourses that challenge simplistic assumptions embedded in theory and practice of education abroad. Global citizenship, comprehensive internationalization, cultural relativity, immersion, cross-cultural learning, and community engagement are some of the concepts deconstructed through the lens of cosmopolitan ideas and histories. Cosmopolitan philosophies are also of particular and special relevance to student experience in international education.  In short, cosmopolitanism is not one idea but a field of meaning, a cluster of profound propositions that might collectively enrich the curriculum of education abroad.

Group relations conferences in China 2014 to 2019: theory and dynamics

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Seth Harkins ◽  
Xiaohua Lu
Keyword(s):  
Systems Theory ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Organisational Development ◽  
Group Relations ◽  
Open Systems Theory ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Learning Institutions

This is a longitudinal inquiry into the theory and dynamics of four group relations conferences in China from 2014 to 2019. The study triangulates field notes, document artefacts, and verbatim transcribed interviews to investigate the application of Wilfred Bion's basic assumption (BA) group theory in the context of temporary learning institutions devoted to the examination of authority, leadership, and conscious/unconscious processes in groups. Given that group relations theory and practice in the Tavistock tradition is grounded in psychoanalysis and open systems theory, the study integrates psychoanalytic and psychodynamic systems theory in the analysis and interpretation of conference dynamics. The study concludes that group relations has important implications for psychoanalysis in China in light of: 1) the "psycho boom" in contemporary China; 2) the possibilities of cross-cultural learning and knowledge transfer; 3) cross-cultural trust building; 4) professional development of human services, mental health, and organisational development professionals; and 5) the application of psychoanalytical theory and practices to the understanding of organisational development in China.

Exploring situated ambiguity in students’ entrepreneurial learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Kubberød ◽  
Inger Beate Pettersen
Keyword(s):  
Critical Incident ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Master's Students ◽  
Entrepreneurial Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Phenomenological Perspective ◽  
Group Interviews

Purpose Building on entrepreneurial learning research, the purpose of this paper is to argue that the students participating in foreign entrepreneurial education programmes can have realistic entrepreneurial learning experiences. This research addresses two specific questions: how situated ambiguity induced by a foreign culture may contribute to contextual entrepreneurial learning in education, and whether ambiguity induced by cross-cultural situated experience can stimulate critical reflection and important learning outcomes in entrepreneurship and increase entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Design/methodology/approach The authors adopted a phenomenological perspective in the research, and used focus group interviews and the critical incident technique to investigate Norwegian master’s students’ experiences of entrepreneurial learning in a long-term practice in an American startup. Findings The empirical findings reveal that the students perceived the foreign cultural learning setting as imbued with ambiguity and uncertainty. However, as the students enhanced their understanding of the culture and entrepreneurial milieu through observations and co-participating, they managed to adapt and develop new strategies and methods to cope with the new environment. Eventually, the students became more entrepreneurial and developed their ESE. Practical implications The research demonstrates how educators can design educational programmes that approach real entrepreneurial learning contexts. Nevertheless, the research also displays several ethical dilemmas that educators need to address. Originality/value The study delineates a new concept for educational designs called situated ambiguity, which reinforces the essence of situated entrepreneurial learning with cross-cultural learning. This concept offers a promising avenue for educators to approach real entrepreneurial learning in both theory and practice.

The Power of Being There: Study Abroad in Cuba and the Cultivation of a “Culture of Peace”

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Bond ◽  
Sinan Koont ◽  
Skye Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Specific Setting ◽  
Culture Of Peace ◽  
Being There

While our primary motivation for carrying out this study has been to explore the power of US study abroad in Cuba for promoting a culture of peace, this work may have import beyond this specific setting for several reasons. First, participant evaluations designed to document transformative changes in the direction of cross-cultural deepening5 remain relatively rare in the study abroad field, despite clamor (e.g., Barber, 1983) from some international education circles to evaluate more systematically program outcomes (see Chieffo & Griffiths, 2004 for a review of the current status of this research). Even less common are studies that include groups from more than one sending institution and program, such as this study. This study is of further interest because it exclusively examines short term programs. In recent years, this program format has been rapidly increasing in prevalence (see Chin, 2003) but continues to provoke debate regarding program outcomes, particularly in relation to cross-cultural learning and adjustment. Many question how much an undergraduate really can learn about another country and about themselves in a cross-cultural setting in only a few weeks. With few exceptions (e.g., University of Delaware’s 2004 study cited by Chieffo & Griffiths, 2004), there is little sound research available to address the question of whether short-term programs are anything more than just glorified tourism, packaged as an academic course.

scholarly journals Fostering Successful Integration and Engagement Between Domestic and International Students on College and University Campuses

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1267-1273
Author(s):  
CindyAnn Rose-Redwood ◽  
Reuban Rose-Redwood
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Education Abroad ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
College And University ◽  
Meaningful Relationships ◽  
College And University Campuses

As the number of international students pursuing higher education abroad continues to increase globally (OECD, 2017), college and university campuses have the potential to serve as key spaces of cross-cultural learning and the cultivation of international friendships. Yet spatial proximity and intercultural contact do not always result in meaningful interactions between different social groups (Wessel, 2009). Various studies have shown that interactions between domestic and international students rarely result in cross-cultural friendships within higher educational settings (Trice, 2004; Gareis, 2012; Rose-Redwood & Rose-Redwood, 2013). This disconnect between international students and host communities is often attributed to the failure of the former to “adjust” to the latter. However, as Ryan (2011) argues, international students are not simply “problems” in need of a solution by university administrators but rather “provide an opportunity for the co-construction of new knowledge and more collaborative ways of working and thinking” (p. 631 and 642). While much attention has been devoted to the challenges that international students face, there is also a need for scholars to consider innovative pathways toward building meaningful relationships between domestic and international students.

scholarly journals Learning Abroad or Just Going Abroad? International Education In Opposite Sides of the Border

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Character Development ◽  
Global Citizenship ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Local Culture ◽  
Education Abroad ◽  
Authentic Engagement

International education, particularly through study abroad experiences, has the potential of preparing students for a globally interconnected world. While challenging, it is necessary to translate aspirations of global citizenship into educational programs and assessing their effectiveness. A necessary step in such process consists in taking a close and critical look at the challenges and possibilities for the development of global citizenship through education abroad. In this paper, I follow a decolonizing autoethnographic approach to explore obstacles for the development of global citizenship through education abroad. If education abroad is to promote global citizenship and character development, I propose a more authentic engagement with the local culture s and a better understanding of globalization — before going abroad — is necessary.

scholarly journals Teaching Global Citizenship in a Muslim-Majority Country: Perspectives of Teachers from the Religious, National, and International Education Sectors in Pakistan

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Muhammad Azeem Ashraf ◽  
Samson Maekele Tsegay ◽  
Jin Ning
Keyword(s):  
International Education ◽  
Global Citizenship ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Great Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sustainable Peace ◽  
Muslim Majority ◽  
Islamic Identity ◽  
Islamic Values

Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country, and religion plays a great role in the life of society. This study examines how teachers from the religious, national, and international education sectors realize the concept of global citizenship education (GCE) in Pakistan. Based on 24 semi-structured interviews, this study found differences among the teachers’ understandings of the concept of GCE and its characteristics. Teachers from the national and religious curriculum sectors viewed GCE as a threat to Islamic values, whereas those from the international curriculum sector regarded GCE as an opportunity for improving the economic development and image of Pakistan. Moreover, the teachers from the religious sector argued for the cultivation of Islamic identity instead of GCE. However, the teachers from the national curriculum sector noted the economic benefits of GCE and were keen on global citizenship principles that do not conflict with national and Islamic values. The different perceptions held by teachers from the three educational sectors indicate the need for more work on GCE to narrow the conflicting agendas and broaden the understandings within Pakistani society. Creating common ideas within these different sectors of education is significant for developing sustainable peace within the divided society.

Development of English teaching theory and practice research from the cross-cultural perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 002072092110077
Author(s):  
Shuang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Classroom Culture ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Foreign Teachers ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Cultural Teaching ◽  
Culture Teaching ◽  
Average Proportion

The progress of science and technology and the development of information technology have accelerated the speed of information dissemination and cultural transformation. In the context of multiculturalism, if we want to cultivate talents who can communicate across cultures, domestic English teaching needs further reforms. The unified implementation of English teaching in China has lasted for decades, and the research on teaching theory has gradually formed a stable framework. But from an overall point of view, instillation teaching under test-oriented education is not conducive to improving students' English practice level. In order to solve this problem, this article analyzes the cultural teaching content in college English teaching from a cross-cultural perspective, and emphasizes the importance of cultural infiltration in English teaching. At the same time, it analyzes the problems in teaching practice from multiple aspects of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation, and puts forward suggestions for the construction of a cross-cultural communication ability training system. Experiments show that in the classes taught by ordinary English teachers, the average proportion of classroom culture teaching is only 14.995%; under the same conditions, the average proportion of classroom culture teaching in the classes taught by foreign teachers reaches 33.865%. Combined with the higher average scores of students in foreign teachers' classes, it can be known that cultural teaching can play a certain role in improving the level of comprehensive English teaching.

If only cultural chameleons could fly too

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maribel Blasco ◽  
Liv Egholm Feldt ◽  
Michael Jakobsen
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Semiotic Perspective ◽  
Human Attributes

The article offers a critique of the concept of cultural intelligence (CQ) from a semiotic perspective. It addresses three assumptions that underpin the CQ concept: that CQ exists, that conflict and misunderstandings are antithetical to CQ and that metacognition involves a cultural dimension. The analysis focuses in particular on the dimension of cultural metacognition which has recently been claimed to be the CQ concept’s main contribution compared to earlier concepts such as cross-cultural or intercultural competence, a claim which is found to be overstated. The article uses the example of CQ training to illustrate the need for greater attention to context and motivation when CQ is deployed for business purposes, as well as to the role of experience in cultural learning processes. At a broader level, the article urges caution in assuming that all human attributes can be trained for business purposes, especially through short-term interventions.

EPISTEMOLOGY OF TONE: AN OBITUARY FOR JULIEN JALÂL ED-DINE WEISS

Tempo ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 71 (281) ◽  
pp. 71-79
Author(s):  
Stefan Pohlit
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Just Intonation ◽  
Modal System ◽  
Helpful Tool ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
History Of ◽  
Major Discrepancy

AbstractDuring the 1980s, Julien Jalâl Ed-Dine Weiss, founder of the Al-Kindi ensemble of Aleppo, invented a qānūn in just intonation with which he attempted to solve a major discrepancy between the theory and practice of maqām-scales. Weiss objected to the introduction of Western standards, observing that they distort the significance of interval ratios and prevent a comparative understanding of the modal system as a transnational phenomenon. In the twentieth century, the implementation of equal-semitone temperament emerged simultaneously with a notable invasion of sociological criteria into musical inquiry. The polarity observed between westernisation and tradition can be seen most visibly in the present search for identity amongst Middle- and Near-Eastern musicians, but this schismogenic process can also be observed in the history of the Western avant-garde, where microtonal explorations have been halted in favour of extra-musical conceptuality. While cross-cultural musicians are faced with a new climate of distrust, it seems most likely that the principles that draw us apart may originate in the very patterns of thought in which our notion of culture operates. Weiss's tuning system may serve as a helpful tool to foster a new and universal epistemology of tone, bridging and transcending the apparent contradictions between the two spheres.

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