Social sciences through a globalized perspective Creating a

Social sciences through a globalized perspective Creating a global curriculum By Athena Smith, Ph. D. Photos from www. burningwell. org (repository for public domain )

What are social sciences? Academic disciplines dealing with the study of the social life of groups and individuals u u u u Anthropology Communications Economics/Business History Political Sciences International Relations Psychology Sociology

What is a global curriculum? u u Two meanings: 1. National curriculums adopt a global dimension 2. Common courses, with common content taught in various countries. Global ethics curriculum

Why do we need a global curriculum? To become world citizens. u To reduce conflict. u To improve by learning through watching others u

The need is urgent because conflict also spreads through globalization Europeans think Islam is dangerous BBC NEWS | UK | Survey reveals Muslim attitudes

The Pew Global Attitudes (IHT, 6/29/06) u u u Westerners and Muslims around the world have radically different views of world events, and each group tends to view the other as violent, intolerant, and lacking respect for women Exceptions: Two-thirds of the French public expressed positive views of Muslims, and even larger majorities of French Muslims felt favorable to Christians and Jews. Majorities in every country except Pakistan expressed pessimism about Muslim-Western relations (Germany 70%, France 66%, Turkey 64%, Spain and Britain 61% and Egypt 58%. )

How Indonesians stereotype the Chinese are rich u Chinese keep to themselves u Chinese arrogant u Chinese think that money can buy anything u

How we stereotype Arabs u u u The three B syndrome: bombers, belly dancers, or billionaires. 21 major movies in the last ten years show our military killing Arabs. Russell Baker: "Arabs are the last people except Episcopalians whom Hollywood feels free to offend en masse. "

Three steps u u u Overcome the “who cares” attitude What to do and how to do it Choose whom you can reach

First step: Overcome the “who cares” attitude Environmental degradation u The story of a pencil u The Second Auto Industry u Security concerns u

Global interdependencies u u u 12 million American jobs depend on trade, including 1 in 5 factory jobs. One in 3 acres of U. S. farmland is planted for export Many of the nation's biggest corporations, from Coca-Cola to Microsoft and Google, depend on substantial revenues from overseas.

Second Step (What to do and how to do it) Different perspectives of the world u u u We have entered a new global order based on cultural comparative advantage. Japanese social discipline. Indian intellectual rigor Korean loyalty to superiors Cantonese entrepreneurship You. Tube - Traffic Chaos India

u Enhance the courses with online materials from sources like Globalization 101 or international news sites u Advantages of Globalization 101 materials u Encompassing social sciences Frequently updated Free (Can reach the poorest) u u

Specifically… Add the global dimension to your courses u Enrich the text with current events u Assign projects to investigate which global forces shaped the particular event u

From primary school to college: Social development Use pictures u to show people’s happiness and sorrow-role playing u To show common needs and practices u To exchange travel experiences

Communication and language u u u u Discuss stories with common justice messages (Indian Fairy Tales ) Learn anti-discriminatory language Role-playing teaches respect Different religions Different foods Different family settings Different customs and art (dances, theatre, music, humor)

One story may apply to a multitude of disciplines (history/business/economics) u From Dan Griswold’s Trading Tyranny for Freedom: How Open Markets Till the Soil for Democracy. “Economic integration promotes civil and political freedoms directly by opening a society to new technology, communications, and democratic ideas. . . By promoting faster growth, free trade promotes political freedom indirectly by creating an economically independent and politically aware middle class. "

College sample lectures: A globalized approach u u Life in Rural China NPR: Rural China in Transition u Job Losses Explode in Rural America u India's Farming 'Revolution' Heading For Collapse

Similarities in rural development among countries u u u 1960’s-1980’s rapid r industrialization Companies found cheaper land, cheaper labor and less regulation Industrial recruitment shifted local populations from the primary to secondary sectors

Commonalities: Use of short multimedia Building a Prison Economy in Rural America u Cities sell garbage to rural areas u Playing with waste in India u

From 1980’s to now u u u Spread of biotechnology Revised GATT and NAFTA EU-India: Free Trade Agreement

Globalized approach to world history u u 1. Help students to understand that their country never existed in a vacuum and that events occurring within their borders affect other peoples. 2. Help students to recognize that historical interpretations are colored by national interests.

Re-writing texts Cyprus history book rewrites spark outcry u To avoid 'us vs. them' in Balkans, rewrite history u

Include the positive…. u u Grameen Bank Credit is treated as a human right and a costeffective weapon to fight poverty In Bangladesh 80% of poor families have been reached through microcredit The idea has become global and includes Lending Investment Social Guarantees of Loans

and the negative… u u u Human trafficking is facilitated by increased international mobility, transparent borders, broadband communication, and political and economic upheaval. The displaced persons, the war victims, the poor, and those seeking the opportunities of the West, turned trafficking into a booming business. Not For Sale: Slavery map

Third step: Choose whom you can reach u International collaboration – Educational tourism – Global classroom – Reaching the poor

Sierra Leone u Pupils from Dorton House in Kent, and Milton Margai School for the blind in wartorn Freetown, Sierra Leone, have visited each other and worked together on disability rights and conflict resolution projects. u Here is the story from BBC NEWS

Possible set-ups for a global classroom among countries Synchronous distance learning u Asynchronous distance learning u Correspondence courses u Exchange programs u

One Laptop per Child u u Donate one Participating countries: Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.