Political Science: Idea of Global Citizenship

Nationalism has been extremely important and influential in shaping the modern world we see today, causing revolutions, rebellions and the constant reshaping of world maps continuing even today. Its appeal is something that I don’t believe will diminish in the future. Many theologians and political commentators alike agree that Nationalism has perhaps been one of the most prominent political ideologies of the modern world “No single political doctrine has played a more prominent role in shaping the face of the modern world than nationalism” 1, and doesn’t look like ceasing to be as influential anytime

Global Citizenship & Equity at Centennial College: Global citizenship refers to the social well- being of various communities and its main focus is to minimize inequity which means try to protect our surroundings and don’t harm others. Global citizens support equity at all levels local as well as globally. In equity we have to change different strategy not only changes the version of current strategy to ensure equity.

The world’s population is continuously increasing and laws are being made to maintain a global social order. The social order includes, and is not limited to, world peace, free international economy, international trade, and assurance that basic human rights are respected by all nations and humans live a decent life, full of opportunities. This is an ideal that we all aspire to, in a way or another and although we want to create a perfect world, it is impossible to do so because of people’s interests and their own view of “perfection.” We, as humans, are not perfect, and therefore we cannot have a perfect world. Many have tried to create ideas of what would make a perfect society. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have diligently tried for centuries to establish a well-balanced world in which each individual has their own freedom. More than two thousand years have passed since then and the world is still struggling to find a way to create a harmonious international society. Cosmopolitanism and anti-cosmopolitanism have different ideas on how we can achieve this goal. To me, a combination of the two sounds more achievable. In this paper, I will try to demonstrate that today’s world is a combination of the two and ideas from both will take us a few steps forward towards an international goal.

According to Keeping and Shapiro, “The term ‘global citizenship’ is increasingly heard, especially in Canada, but rarely defined.”(as citied in Block and Friesen, 2012, page 215) I believe if a person who would like to places their own identity with a global community through actions much more than their identity about values and practices, they will become a part of global citizenship. After learning in ELLA 0360 textbooks, there are three peoples that stand out. They are Dr. Christopher Opio, Lindsay Willms and David Suzuki.

The concept of being a good international citizen departs from this view and has us believe “that states should be cognisant of and accountable to in the conduct of their international politics and foreign policy…” (Langlois, pp. 221). However, there are many barriers to the creation of this cosmopolitan world order and its promotion of human rights. At the core of international relations theory, it is held that all states are considered sovereign. The state has the authority to govern within its territory without the interference of outside states or actors.

Today, the scourge of nationalism continues to infect humanity. Without doubt, in some circles, nationalism is hotly debated. For most people, however, the concept of nationalism is rarely questioned. In fact, it 's a foregone conclusion that people should love the nation in which they reside. Some people even take great pride in the fact that they were arbitrarily born in a specific geographical location. Unfortunately, like religion or capitalism, nationalism is alive and well in the 21st century.

Philosopher Ernest Gellner embodied the negative aspect of nationalism stating, “It is nationalism which endangers nations, and not the other way round.” (Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism). Nationalism is a very dangerous weapon if gone unchecked. When fully examined, nationalism is the factor that has repeatedly led nations to use whatever means they deem necessary in order to accomplish their goals. As nations yearn to have a more powerful voice and become more competitive, their national interest becomes a priority above the needs and the lives of others. Numerous lives have been lost or negatively affected as an immediate outcome of an unhindered nationalistic spirit. Nations obliterate any force that stands in the way of national

Nationalism is the sense of an individual showing extreme loyalty to their country. It is homologous to tribalism. Similar to a family it is held together by a sense of affinity. According to professor Liah Greenfeld of Boston, nationalism is “an image of social order which involves the people of a sovereign elite and a community of equals.” Nationalism includes individuals tied together by charismatic bonds such as race, faith, language, economy, way of life, history, ideas, and location. (“Nationalism” Greenfeld) These people desire power and strength in which they feel strongly loyal too. In other words they seek development of their nation. For instance, a group called ISIS, also known as The Islamic State deeply follows the Muslim Faith. They are willing to fight to the death for their beliefs on how society should be organized and live. Also, World War One and World War Two are great examples of a historical nationalistic era. People from every country stood their ground and battled until they had nothing left. They risked their lives for their countries which showed true nationalism. Events like these lead to tragic endings which included death, loss in food, clothing, lower economy, political issues, and disputes within countries. Despite what one may assume the root causes of international conflicts are, nationalist ideas are in fact the origin to this dissension because many countries are loyal to their beliefs, ensure the stability of their nation, and are set on

The concept of what defines a global citizen varies, for people have their own opinions and say about how they see an ideal one as. Kwame Appiah wrote Cosmopoltianism, and in his opinion, a global citizen is seen as one who sees no division within themselves and “others”; that it is necessary to agree with one another to behave morally. The view of an ideal global citizen has been altered for centuries, and in every culture it is uniquely seen and educated differently. Many Americans may agree when asked, “what is an ideal global citizen”, their responses would be, following the laws, paying taxes, helping out around the community, having a job or

There is variations definition of global citizenship; the words are interchangeable with each other. A theorist can each have their own high opinion regarding global citizenship. My definition of global citizenship is that we are responsible to this world. People are responsible for human, human rights, cultural and diversity. People are responsible for connecting the world, cultures, and people with each other. Responsible for advocating for the world and its problem of others.

My personal aspect on being a global citizen is anyone who makes connections with the world and understands cultures and how they differ throughout the world. I would like to be a global citizen by empowering individuals to have a choice of participating in the capitalistic society because there is a choice to condone it or not. For example, in the film Searching for Sugar man (2012), Sixto Rodriguez would exclude himself from the capitalistic government. He was globally connected to South Africa by sharing his music, but not want to continue his fame and make money off of his productions in the United States. Furthermore, globalization is the expansion of business throughout the world. When slaves were brought to America, they contributed into agribusiness expanding the Europeans knowledge of farming, increasing production in the new world (Gewin). Capitalism runs through nations and is the fundamental component of an economic system. Although many people do not realize they take part into the capitalistic society that they live in, capitalism happens in the workforces that they work in, the schools that their children attend, and the businesses and companies that they invest in. The systematic approach of capitalism causes countries to depend on to keep the economy going. It has been the primary reason for immigration, ethnocide, anti-systemic organizations, and hunger and poverty throughout many nations. Capitalism is a controlling system that affects

To examine and explore what is global citizenship? This essay will look at the importance of becoming a global citizenship, the role we, as educators play in this development and how the curriculum frameworks and associated learning emphases for global education assist in the development of a global citizen.

To most of us, globalization—as a political, economic, social, and technological force—appears all but unstoppable. The ever-faster flow of information across the globe has made people aware of the tastes, preferences, and lifestyles of citizens in other countries. Through this information flow, we are all becoming—at varying speeds and at least in economic terms—global citizens. This convergence is controversial, even offensive, to some who consider globalization a threat to their identity and way of life. It is not surprising; therefore, that globalization has evoked counter forces aimed at preserving differences and deepening a sense of local identity.

According to Rourke (2008) the most important way people have identified themselves politically for five centuries is through nationalism (p. 102). Nations are formed when people who “share demographic and cultural similarities [who identify themselves] as a group distinct from other groups and want to control themselves politically” (p. 103) band together in a national political identity which has “a soul, a spiritual quality” (Rourke, 2008, p. 103). Feelings of nationalism can be very intense and difficult to put aside because of this. For the concept of globalization to continue to spread and grow nationalistic feelings must be tempered with cosmopolitan ideals.

The rapid advancement of society in recent years has greatly increased connectivity and communication capabilities across the globe, such as the development of the worldwide network known as the Internet. The increased connectedness between countries has also brought greater visibility to the substantial cultural differences around the world, from religious freedoms to accepted social behaviors. This global expansion has furthered the opportunity to promote the development of global citizenship, which Reysen and Katzarska-Miller (2013) defined as the embrace of cultural diversity through awareness, acceptance, and the promotion of social justice and responsibility. Global citizenship allows individuals from many cultural backgrounds to develop productive relationships by decreasing the tensions brought on by cultural differences, as well as promoting open sharing of contrasting views to develop better ideas as a group (Wang & Hoffman, 2016). Becoming a global citizen is essential to furthering societal development, improving cross-cultural communication, and promoting awareness and acceptance of different cultures.