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CIVIC POSITION VS. GLOBALIZATION:
PROBLEMS AND DILEMMAS OF CIVIC AND
INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION А. Sigien-Matyjewicz
The process of globalization has changed our world profoundly. Its consequences can be seen both as positive and negative. But they are real, and this is why pedagogy should be more concentrated on intercultural and civic education in order to raise responsible individuals.
Key words: intercultural education, civic education, globalization, pedagogy.
Nowadays, the involvement of an individual in psychosocial reality is more intensive than in past ages. The world has turned into a global village. Any person is interconnected with other individuals, groups, public, and nations through mass media (press, radio, television, internet), innovation technologies, migration and exchange of ideas, opinions and information, traditions and even dishes. A stream of people, goods, services and capitals, and competitive abilities have increased. Democracy has improved. People have started taking care of the environment. They also have the possibility to create joint ventures, and to take international measures in order to protect the world against threats and to secure peace. People can learn other cultures and widen their knowledge about them. The globalization process leads to the creation of new cultures resulting from mixing different cultures. Thanks to the global culture, a phenomenon of tribalism has occurred -for example, a feeling of identity of individuals or groups resulting from common interests, beliefs, ideals, habits and life styles. This feeling of identity often takes place between individuals or groups in different geographical locations. The globalization process encourages relations and friendships of many individuals, groups and communities. Countries and nations with a similar culture come close and drift apart. This process results, on the one hand, in the appearance of alliances and determination of a common identity within the framework of civilized boundaries, on the other, in the creation of new boundaries.
However, the globalization process also carries negative consequences. Unemployment worsens. An economic gap between affluent and poor individuals, rich and poor countries increases, and the distance between highly developed and developing countries grows. Poor countries become more dependent on the rich. Mass migrations (both legal and illegal) from the poor countries to the rich disturb the feeling of identity and cause xenophobia. These processes result in flashes of egoistic positions and small-scale nationalism, as well as small societies trying to create their own national countries. The role of the state in organizing economic activity and as a subject of political life in favour of international political and economical corporations and organizations decreases. On the one hand, the number of democratized territories increases, and on the other hand, the democratic crisis becomes more obvious. In countries with a stable democratic system, the involvement of individuals in public life is observed more and more rarely. The fall of the authorities and institutions becomes more noticeable.
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Globalization is a threat for the environment as it leads to the inhomogeneous use of natural resources. The globalization process is the reason for the unification of customer patterns, life styles and culture. It destroys culture and national norms, annihilates local identities, weakens public relations, and marginalizes artists and artisan creativity. As a result of the globalization process, a tendency towards a new cosmopolitan life style develops, manifesting itself in the negation of the role of religion, one’s own culture and nation, native language, one’s own traditions, and habits and rites which used to be factors determining the behaviour of people.
A big problem of the globalization process is also the issue of citizenship (a juridical bond between the state and the individual, providing responsibilities and prerogatives for the state with respect to the individual determined by law, and certain rights and responsibilities for the individual with respect to the state1). Some individuals have a “we” feeling with other individuals, which is displayed in sympathy towards others, such as concerning cataclysms or wars. Some individuals also feel responsible for the state of the psychosocial reality surrounding them currently, and besides the benefits and privileges resulting from the globalization process, start to pay attention to moral responsibilities and duties. Other individuals, for their part, negate the external and concentrate only on their private interests. The civic and intercultural education should show the right way for these individuals as exactly these disciplines form both elements of an individual development of a person and his identity. It is civic and intercultural education that prepares a person for a practical understanding of civil rights, and creates the conditions for the collaboration of representatives of different cultures2, forms an open intellectual position, tolerance, acceptance of differences, and respect for other cultures. Civic and intercultural education is addressed to young people, such as potentially active and responsible citizens able to support the development and the welfare of their community members.
The goals of civic education are: (a) To increase the level of political consciousness of an individual (which includes: giving information about social, political and civic institutions and human rights, studying social issues and current problems, analyzing conditions in which individuals can live together, studying national constitutions with the goal to prepare an individual to exercise one’s own rights and to perform duties, propaganda and acknowledgement of cultural and historical heritage, orienting in culture and language differentiation of different communities); (b) To learn to think critically and to develop one’s own specific position, as well as to understand moral and civic values (this can include: development of skills needed for the active participation of an individual in public life, development of skills needed by an individual to maintain the environment safety, self-cognition, development of respect for oneself and other individuals and groups in order to establish mutual understanding, strengthening of a feeling of solidarity, construction of values taking into account different social aspects and opinions, cognition and solution of conflicts peacefully, development of efficient
1 Zob. szerzej J. Raciborski, Obywatelstwo w perspektywie socjologicznej, Warszawa, 2011.
2 Zob. szerzej C. Banach, Edukacja przysztosci, „Res Humana” 2000, nr 2, s. 14-17.
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strategies for fighting against xenophobia and racism); (c) To stimulate the active participation in life of one’s state1.
Intercultural education sets the following goals: (a) To develop the skill of an individual to be able to communicate with people of a different race, language, religion, tradition and life style; (b) To develop the skill of an individual to look at the surrounding psychosocial reality in different cultural contexts and the ability to cope with it in conditions of social, cultural and religious differences; (c) To develop the cultural sensibility of an individual (for example - understanding the meaning of cultural influence on the behaviour of people and groups of people); (d) To inspire an individual to be active for peace, tolerance, openness, equality, justice and safety in one’s own country and in the whole world; (e) To form a negation of prejudices and stereotypes by an individual; (f) To motivate an individual to resist different forms of xenophobia, discrimination, racism and hostility towards the representatives of another race, national, ethnic and religious minorities, etc.
After having obtained the full civic and intercultural education, the person will recognize that not only local needs, taking care of the welfare of the nearest and dearest, social order, and safety of one’s own country, but also a sense of responsibility, taking care of nature and the well-being of all people in the world are important. Such a person will possess the ability of mutual listening which helps to understand the position from different perspectives, and he will be open and prepared for cooperation with representatives of different social, professional, national and religious groups. Thus, an educated citizen of the world will comprehend and appreciate diversity, and the possibility to simultaneously realize different cultural proceedings by representatives of different nations coming from different countries. He will gain knowledge about the functioning of the world and be aware of the role he plays in this system. He will exhibit activity on different levels of his efforts, from local to global, and will bear responsibility for his actions. He will not see as absolute traditionally set boundaries and nations as he will possess the ability to see public life outside these divisions. The civic activity of such a man will result, on a global level, in feeling responsible for reducing social and economic injustice as well as in taking care of the environment.
This is why it is important to take all necessary measures to strengthen the civic and intercultural education in elementary schools, gymnasiums, secondary and high schools. This will prevent the atrophy of the political system and strengthen the civic identity of an individual.
Reference Literature
1. C. Banach, Edukacja przysztosci, „Res Humana” 2000, nr 2.
2. Raciborski J., Obywatelstwo w perspektywie socjologicznej. - Warszawa, 2011.
3. Torowska J., Edukacja obywatelska w Polsce na tle tendencji w szkotach europejskich w
swietle pedagogiki kultury, w: Edukacja. Moralnosc. Sfera publiczna, J. Rutkowiak,
D. Kubinowski, M. Nowak (red.). - Lublin, 2007.
1 J. Torowska, Edukacja obywatelska w Polsce na tle tendencji w szkotach europejskich w swietle pedagogiki kultury, w: Edukacja. Moralnosc. Sfera publiczna, J. Rutkowiak, D. Kubinowski, M. Nowak (red.), Lublin 2007, s. 668-669.
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