Importance of Becoming a Global Citizen

Importance of Becoming a Global Citizen

With the ongoing technological advances, the world is becoming a global village. The concepts of globalization and globalism are kicking in as people prepare to work in a diverse work environment. The paper delves into the idea of global citizenship, its importance, how it manifests in real life, and the educational programs that encourage the practice of globalization.

Differences between Globalism and Globalization

According to Arditi (2004), the main difference between globalism and globalization is that globalism is an ideology based on the belief that goods, services, information, and people should have unrestricted movement across borders. On the other hand, globalization is the movement of technology, people, and products across borders. In addition, globalism is an ideology that favors globalization. It is based on the belief that globalization is an entirely positive decision (Arditi, 2004). Besides, it emphasizes protecting the interests of the entire globe over individual states’ interests. Globalism encourages free trade and unlimited access to global markets.

On its part, globalization is a multidimensional economic and social process. Globalization touches on other factors beyond the economic spectrum. Other considerations in globalization include political, social, communicational, and environmental issues (Arditi, 2004). Besides, the globalization factors come in as a regulatory framework. International standards regulate public-private partnerships between local companies within the same global arena (Arditi, 2004). The benefits of globalization include free global market access, infrastructural network expansion, and non-tariff application.

Benefits of Global Citizenship in the Age of Advanced Technology

One of the benefits of being a global citizen in the age of advanced technology is that it encourages a collaborative spirit and a sense of community. People can now interact on different social media sites and share knowledge (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). One of the essential skills that can be learned this way is communication, a core business aspect. People who have a solid grasp of international communication standards can work in diverse companies. The collaborative spirit also enhances problem-solving skills.

Also, being a global citizen gives one access to many technological skills. Changes in the technology spectrum in the 21st Century led to the creation of technological tools to solve problems (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). Social media platforms such as Quora and LinkedIn provide a platform for people to learn and exchange ideas on how to use these platforms to make positive changes.

Global citizenship also enhances cultural awareness. Cultural competence is essential when communicating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). A culturally competent person knows that they might differ in terms of customs, values, and language, but that does not mean they have different goals for the world. Global citizenship helps people develop compassion, learn to collaborate with diverse individuals and work together effectively and efficiently.

Disagreement between Theorists about the Definition of Global Citizenship

Disagreements bordering on global citizenship definition occur because theorists source data from different disciplines to define the concept. Such data offers diverse information, making theorists take various directions. Based on the ideas acquired from Reysen and Katzarska-Miller’s (2013) article, I define global citizenship as the possession of compassion, cultural awareness, respect, and morality when approaching international affairs.

Outcomes of Global Citizenship

Valuing Diversity 

Valuing diversity is one of the most critical outcomes of global citizenship. The concept emanates from having an interest in and respecting other people’s diverse cultural backgrounds (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). Exploring people’s various drivers, attitudes, knowledge, and skills improves one’s ability to work with others. As the old adage goes, one can only improve oneself by interacting with others. Therefore, exchanging ideas with others helps one develop the necessary skills required for personal development.

Intergroup Empathy

Intergroup empathy is another important outcome of global citizenship. It refers to members’ ability to work with and identify with the perspectives and emotions of members from another social group (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). Intergroup empathy is vital because it helps members from different worldviews, customs, cultures, and values build an understanding of each other and work together in the long run.

Personal Reflection

Based on the above global citizenship outcomes, I have undergone experiences that border around diversity valuing and intergroup empathy. First, I have worked online and had the privilege of working with online teams. Team members were drawn from different ethnicities with different cultural backgrounds. These differences manifested at the workplace in terms of behavioral terms. For instance, the responses to negative feedback were culturally biased. Some group members appreciated negative feedback and promised to improve. However, others frowned upon negative feedback, thinking it was a way to bring them down. As a global citizen, I understood their responses and assisted all in improving their performance without victimization.

Educational Courses that Improve Prospects of Global Citizenship

Civic Engagement

Civic engagement is one of the educational programs that bolster global citizenship. It emphasizes the need to improve a community’s welfare through collaboration (Papastephanou, 2005). The course helped me understand that community development is attainable as long as a collaborative effort exists.

Global Citizenship Education

Another educational program to bolster global citizenship is the Global Citizenship Education (GCED). GCED was launched by the United Nations (UN) as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets. The program empowers learners to be at the center of developing a tolerant, peaceful, and secure society.

Conclusion

In summary, global citizenship is increasingly becoming an essential concept in the age of globalizing and globalization. The values associated with global citizenship help an individual cope with a global and diverse workplace. These traits can be nurtured through the education system via different educational programs.

References

Arditi, B. (2004). From globalism to globalization: the politics of resistance. New Political Science, 26(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/0739314042000185102

Papastephanou, M. (2005). Globalisation, Globalism and Cosmopolitanism as an Educational Ideal. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 37(4), 533–551. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2005.00139.x

Reysen, S., & Katzarska-Miller, I. (2013). A model of global citizenship: Antecedents and outcomes. International Journal of Psychology, 48(5), 858–870. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2012.701749

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

Describe and explain a clear distinction between “globalism” and “globalization” after viewing the video and reading the article.
Describe how being a global citizen in the world of advanced technology can be beneficial to your success in meeting your personal, academic, and professional goals.

Explain why there has been disagreement between theorists about the definition of global citizenship and develop your own definition of global citizenship after reading the article by Reysen and Katzarska-Miller.
Choose two of the six outcomes of global citizenship from the article (i.e., intergroup empathy, valuing diversity, social justice, environmental sustainability, intergroup helping, and the level of responsibility to act for the betterment of this world).
Explain why those two outcomes are the most important in becoming a global citizen compared to the others.
Describe at least two personal examples or events in your life that illustrate the development of global citizenship based on the two outcomes you chose.
Identify two specific general education courses.
Explain how each course influenced you to become a global citizen.