Introduction
The concept of global citizenship represents the idea that an individual can possess extensive knowledge revolving around what goes on in the wider world. Therefore, sustainable and equitable action is taken by global citizens to improve the wellbeing of all people across the globe (“Globalization at a crossroads,” n.d.; Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). From the psychological point of view, global citizenship is a complex phenomenon that relates to personal functioning and identity. It means that global citizenship is the everyday impact of one’s worldviews on the wellbeing of other people (Papastephanou, 2005). The current paper explains the concept of global citizenship in rich detail while validating the need to educate people across the globe on how to become aware of broader issues concerning one’s personal, academic, and professional development.
Background of Global Citizenship
According to Papastephanou (2005), global citizens aim to bring quantitative and qualitative change to the world around them in order to overcome the negative effects of modern capitalism. There are numerous individuals who have been affected by the increasing focus on the role of money in everyday life. This is why the advancement of global citizenship became a reality and paved the way for people-centered approaches to many psychological and socioeconomic issues (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). The existence of less fortunate people has to be mitigated through recurrent efforts to make it possible for everyone to find their place in the world and remain useful. The promotion of global citizenship requires exceptional confidence because citizens have to advocate for lifelong learning and skill improvement regardless of one’s socioeconomic status or any other variable that diversifies the modern community (for example, race or religion).
Globalism and Globalization
The general concept of globalism is often described as associated with bewilderment and the feeling of awkwardness. Papastephanou (2005) stated that globalism was a mere part of globalization that required educators and students to get acquainted with the cross-cultural peculiarities of each other. Thus, globalism is all about the process of creating enough room for people to serve as global citizens and advocate for various changes that can be expected to improve the wellbeing of humans worldwide. As for the link between globalization and global citizenship, it can be safe to say that the involvement of relevant education is required to set the development vector for various socioeconomic groups (Papastephanou, 2005). Accordingly, globalization is much more effective than globalism in terms of bringing unity, but it has to be managed precisely in order to help global citizens reap all the benefits of working together and advocating for equity and empathy.
Global Citizenship and Personal, Academic, and Professional Goals
As noted by Estellés and Fischman (2021) and Papastephanou (2005), educational efforts to teach global citizenship could be important because of helping individuals overcome conservative notions and conceptions. The ability to preserve cultural identity and value is often considered one of the most vigorous aptitudes possessed by individuals when attaining personal goals. Hence, globalism and globalization are involved in education equally as well, with both concepts encouraging learners to think out-of-the-box and enlighten themselves and other people (Papastephanou, 2005). Such individual choices would relentlessly spark competitiveness among people, creating a stronger emphasis on interpersonal respect and a much more positive view of diversity. Within the field of professional goals, global citizenship is intended to overcome ego-centric values and confront heavily marketized relationship systems where ethics are lacking. An improved level of awareness would help potential global citizens protect educational diversity and identify new sources of theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
The most evident reason why there could have been a disagreement between theorists regarding the concept of global citizenship was the dynamic nature of interpersonal interactions. In other words, the ever-changing attitudes displayed by humanity should be considered fundamental when looking at how individuals perceive their communities. Consequently, I believe I am a better person in my community now because of having the opportunity to investigate contrasting views and acknowledge diversity. To my mind, global citizenship should be defined as an opportunity to advance societal development through empathy and continuous improvement efforts. Global citizenship shaped my identity through guiding me toward effective cross-cultural communication and an omnipresent acceptance of different cultures.
The two outcomes of global citizenship that I would like to discuss are intergroup empathy and intergroup helping. I believe that they are the most important because they are directly associated with the willingness to assist people and make the world a better place for everyone without exceptions. An event that illustrated the development of global citizenship through intergroup empathy was when a little girl got lost at the mall, so I comforted her and helped find her mother. As for intergroup helping, the best example is me donating blood to the local hospital. The two general education courses that affected me the most were World Religions and Introduction to Ethics. The latter helped me become a better global citizen by exposing the problematic nature of the modern world and numerous sensitive issues that cannot be resolved easily. World Religions was beneficial because it aided me in strengthening my comprehension of people and their underlying motivations.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence collected within the framework of the current paper, it can be concluded that global citizenship is a strong concept that is intended to bring out the best in people. From interpersonal relationships to education, global citizenship can be expected to aid people in advocating for social justice and better approaches to social and public dimensions. Global citizenship is a fundamental concept because it advocates for diversity, equity, and the mitigation of any crisis.
References
Estellés, M., & Fischman, G. E. (2021). Who needs global citizenship education? A review of the literature on teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 72(2), 223-236.
Globalization at a crossroads. Infobase.
Papastephanou, M. (2005). Globalisation, globalism and cosmopolitanism as an educational ideal. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 37(4), 533-551.
Reysen, S., & Katzarska-Miller, I. (2013). A model of global citizenship: Antecedents and outcomes. International Journal of Psychology, 48(5), 858-870.