The Global Citizens in Global (Un)certainties: Southern Higher Education Students in the North

Introduction

In the post-World War II era, economic and societal development in most nations was mainly guided by Keynesian economic theory with its emphasis on the welfare and state planning of the economy. Following the introduction of neoliberalism as a political project in the 1980s and the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of that decade, a significant shift in societies, their economies, institutions, and education sectors (Rizvi & Lingard, 2000) was observed as a result of the rapid expansion of global free market ideas. Both developmental and critical literature use the term ‘globalization’ to describe this shift. Davies (2006, p. 9) observes that “globalization is both a threat and an opportunity, in terms of the impact of trade, technology, media, social organization, and cultures.” From a development standpoint, globalization impacts nearly every element of our lives (Rizvi, 2007). It hastens the formation of persistent networks, resulting in the emergence of international interdependencies. In this framing, the main discussions around globalization focus on economic development and the significant role of transnational companies (Osler & Vincent, 2002). However, we see globalization as more than a form of economic imperialism and a way to create a single global market economy (Shultz, 2007). Because of the uneven characteristics of globalization, various types of inclusion and exclusion are visible through complex and dynamic sets of international, national, and local relationships.

We can find the causes and impacts of globalization in political, technological, cultural, and economic practices, which have undergone significant changes in recent decades. Thus, globalization is interconnected with international commerce, virtual economies, electronic capital transfers, labor and production, information, ecology, legal and administrative systems, culture, and civil society (Osler & Vincent, 2002). In other words, the impacts of globalization extend beyond the realm of public policy. Cultural practices may be influenced, potentially to a greater extent than economic and political factors. Similarly, Urry (2003b) sees the role of social science as reporting on the transformation of local, regional, national, environmental, and cultural aspects within globalization’s new robust capitalist structure. In other words, globalization is also viewed “in relation to the various ways in which global processes now work – through the flows of people, capital and information, as well as ideas and images found in the media” (Rizvi, 2008, p. 18) and to how political, social, technological, economic, and cultural changes are initiated (Rizvi & Lingard, 2000), what does this imply for contemporary citizenship? If, as Held and Moore (2007) contend, these transformations are also occurring at the individual level and are shaping values, aspirations, self-understandings, and identities, what might this imply for how individuals perceive such dynamics, including new demands and challenges on us as individuals?

For this reason, Bauman (2009, 2013a) supports using education for global citizenship to develop young people’s individual and social skills to engage them in critical dialogue with others as they engage with this globalized world and make meaning of it. Similarly, Appadurai (2007) suggests that education could be mobilized to address the capabilities of young people to assist them in navigating cultural maps where their future aspirations can be formulated to promote an understanding of their objectives concerning global perspectives and norms. More broadly, the United Nations (2015) has set targets through SDG 4 to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ is realized by 2030. Specifically, this goal aims to develop the required knowledge and skills for global citizenship through target 4.7, enabling all learners to promote sustainable development.