Transcript Slide 1

KKAS 2118
5 cr.
Globalization, Multiculturalism & Community Education
Globalisaatio, monikulttuurisuus & yhteisökasvatus
ktk.ulapland.fi/globaleducation/kkas2118
KKAS 2118
5 cr.
LECTURE SESSIONS:
6 x 3½h
EXERCISE SESSIONS: 0h
ktk.ulapland.fi/globaleducation/kkas2118
Lecture 1:
• The era of globalization — an historical imperative of human evolution:
» The phenomenon of refugee diaspora vs. ‘traditional’ migration and immigration — both phenomena are new and ancient!
» Globalization is the most influential trend in today’s world!
» The history of the human species: homo sapience started out somewhere in Eastern Africa some 200'000 years ago!
» The progressive stages of society reached, so far, have been: family/clan, tribe, city-state, nation-state!
» History has a ‘arrow’ or a ‘plot’: progress towards maturer, broader forms of social, cultural and political cooperation!
» Fundamentally, globalization is an ongoing exercise in altruism, learning increasingly selfless social behaviour (from ‘self-
love’ and various degrees of ‘exclusive love’ towards ‘inclusive or universal love’)!
» Globalization is an inevitable consequence of a unifying civilizational evolution throughout human history!
» Humankind is currently going through a global phase of crisis, a natural part of its evolution; there are, simultaneously,
both destructive and constructive forces at work in the world!
» The present confusion in the world is just a transitional stage in the evolution of humankind; the current global paradigm is
ripe with risks of global breakdown but also offers a platform for civilizational breakthrough!
» The global community, humankind as a whole, is beginning to see itself, for the first time in its history, as a single organic
entity with the Earth as its homeland; the principle of the oneness of humankind is manifested in the consciousness of Earth
as our shared homeland!
» What signs of this consciousness can you observe in your everyday lives and surroundings?
» “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come!” (Victor Hugo)!
Lecture 2 (cont’d … ») :
• The promise and challenge of cultural diversity — call for sensitive approaches (cont’d … ») :
» Diverse cultures and mentalities have the potential, both to build bridges, thus promoting global solidarity, and to put up walls,
thus causing separation and conflict!
» Multiculturalism, and the related pluralism, are an existing and problematic state of affairs, not an ideal!
» Neither unity nor diversity can, alone, lead to stability: mere unity will lead to uniformity, mere diversity will lead to degeneration;
sustainable and inclusive (constructive) globalization requires unity and diversity — or “Unity in Diversity”!
» The challenge of human diversity requires cultural and mental sensitivity; in particular, this is needed in two areas: (1) received
images and impressions about ‘other parts’ of the world; (2) a desire to learn from other cultures, avoiding cultural arrogance!
» How can cultural and mental sensitivity be acquired, learned?
» Exercise in cultural and mental sensitivity: the case of Afghan culture!
» First of all: Afghanistan is not an Arab country, nor are Iran and Pakistan — not all Muslim countries in the Middle East belong
to the Arabian cultural heritage; Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan belong to the Indo-European ancestry, including language!
» One reason for the inefficiency of international development aid in Afghanistan, after the fall of the Taliban regime, is the tacit
demonization of the Afghan culture by both the media and those involved in development work — a mostly unconscious assumption that Afghan culture is, for the most part, a hindrance or even a recessive force to progress!
» Sidetracking the Afghan culture in the process of national development leads to the situation where you “throw the baby with the
bath water” — Afghanistan would become merely another new ‘western’ country among others, deprived of its distinctive features
while Afghans imitate western culture with a similar blindness with which they followed their own traditions earlier!
» Two fundamental influences are central in understanding the present form of the Afghan culture (including all the ethnic sub-
cultures present in the country): (1) the wars and violence that has been going on in the country for the past quarter-of-a-century
and where prolonged by interference by foreign powers; (2) the strong cultural heritage, preceding this period of wars, that has
remained relatively unchanged in its essential features for at least one thousand years!
Lecture 2 (« … cont’d … ») :
• The promise and challenge of cultural diversity — call for sensitive approaches (« … cont’d … ») :
» The fundamental ethos of Afghan mentality: unreserved obedience to tradition is the highest human virtue; correspondingly,
deviation from tradition is the basest of human vices; for ordinary Afghans, who have no practice in the independent study of
religion and the Koran, tradition is the same thing as Islam, and Islam is the will of God — thus, tradition is the will of God!
» In western thinking, this Afghan ethos of “unreserved obedience to tradition” is easily seen as a purely negative principle; however,
as long as such obedience relates to socially constructive and wholesome, or neutral and harmless traditions, such discipline is a
strength rather than a weakness!
» In the case of harmful or damaging traditions, it is not the principle of obedience that is the problem but rather blindness, i.e. not
questioning destructive features of traditions; even in the case of destructive traditions and habits it is important to notice that the
tradition itself may have, historically, risen from a positive and constructive principle which has later transformed into an extreme
and rigid application!
» For instance, the use of the burkha is supposedly an extreme, distorted and rigid application of the principle of chastity, or honour
killing is an extreme, distorted and rigid application of the principle of honour and respect — neither chastity nor honour are destructive
social values (indeed, to the contrary)!
» If it is hoped that the destructive expressions of potentially good principles into violent and unjust habits are abated, outsiders to the
Afghan culture, particularly people from western countries, would do well to show their approval and respect for the innate worth and
wholesomeness of the values behind such traditions, and then proceed to show that good principles and values can be expressed in
a multitude ways and that in certain extreme applications other equally important principles and values are broken (e.g. human rights)!
» The vast majority of the values and customs related to traditional Afghan culture can easily be recognized as positive and construc-
tive; most of Afghan cultural customs and traditions that, when viewed in against the international standards of human rights, may
be seen as questionable stem from four values to which Afghans are as blindly obedient as they are to all the other traditions!
Lecture 2 (« … cont’d) :
• The promise and challenge of cultural diversity — call for sensitive approaches (« … cont’d) :
» Four problematic Afghan values: (1) excessive valuing of honour; (2) family and clan centeredness; (3) over-valuing of men and
manliness; (4) revenge and retaliation as applications of justice: revenge is seen as a just means to respond to wrongs suffered
by oneself or one’s family; due to the historical absence of constitutional state, — and upon the failure of conciliatory attempts in
Jirga meetings (or when unwilling to submit to the Jirga option) — vendetta or blood vengeance has remained as the only generally
accepted method of putting right the injustices suffered!
» Correspondingly, there are numerous positive and constructive cultural traits: (1) deep respect for parents and teachers and the
elderly, (2) sacrificing one’s own good for that of the family and the clan, (3) a strong sense and desire for serving, (4) valuing
visitors and generosity and hospitality towards guests, (5) deep gratitude towards those who extend a helping hand, (6) valuing
good manners, (7) sense of community and great joy in being together and doing things together, (8) lifelong respect for mothers
especially on the part of sons, (9) valuing hard work and a sense of entrepreneurship, (10) tenacity and persistence in the face of
hardship and adversity, (11) valuing humility, (12) family loyalty (which can be expressed in harmful ways without broader societal
loyalties), (13) valuing chastity and protecting women from outside threats (a positive value that can sometimes be expressed in
extreme ways due to the subordinate position of women and the possessiveness of men)!
» In general, development and progress are most constructive/sustainable when founded upon a country’s cultural and social strengths,
and they are most destructive/unsustainable when based on imported socio-cultural traits (whether good or bad)!
» Extended periods of war and conflict have a decisively degenerating effect on culture — the resulting despair, carnage and loss,
gross poverty, getting accustomed to violence and harsh crimes against humanity have all served to establish violence, corruption
and mob law as the “normal order of affairs”!
Lecture 3 (cont’d … ») :
• The richness of human identity, the idea of ‘third culture’, and schools as identity-builders (cont’d … ») :
» Immigrants face the dilemma of understanding and adapting to the new culture, on the one hand, and preserving their own cultural
heritage, on the other (cf. the Finnish expression: “maassa maan tavalla”)!
» Human identity is not limited to simplistic loyalties to a limited social group — humans are capable of maintaining a comprehensive
and hierarchical sense of belonging which can include a vast spectrum while forming a coherent whole!
» The human reality harbours layers of interacting and interlacing identities: at worst, this can be contradictory as well as socially
and mentally disruptive; at best, they can be complementary and can expand the circle of human experience into a coherent sense
of identity!
» How does the school build identity? How can it be a good identity builder?
» Schools have the potential to act as identity builders: they can expand the foundation of children’s ‘social loyalties’ and build up
layers of identity and overcoming the sense of ‘otherness’, so natural to human beings, within a genuine sense of community which
is both inclusive and diverse!
» The idea of ‘third culture’ has been emerging as a result of multicultural challenges of schools: it can mean many things, including
the culture of immigrant children (which combines elements of the culture of their parents and the local culture of their new country),
a shared new culture created by the interaction of different cultures etc.!
» How is this kind of ‘third culture’ problematic? What are its advantages and disadvantages?
» At best, however, ‘third culture’ would not be limited to the diverse, and sometimes conflicting, cultural elements but would rather
put an effort in transcending the limitations of sub-cultures while drawing on their strengths!
Lecture 3 (« … cont’d) :
• The richness of human identity, the idea of ‘third culture’, and schools as identity-builders (« … cont’d) :
» The real challenge of ‘third culture’ is the absence of a shared ethical frame of reference — pure pluralism fails to provide any tools
for fusing diverse human elements into a unified sense of community; some globally sustainable values, models of life and modes
of action need to be incorporated within the multicultural reality!
» “Schools as identity builders”, “overcoming the sense of ‘otherness’”, “genuine sense of community”, “transcending limitations of
sub-cultures”, “drawing on the strengths of sub-cultures”, “globally sustainable values etc.” — all of these call for reinventing the idea
of ‘third culture’ within the context of unity in diversity!
» The principle of Unity in Diversity implies that every human being develops and expresses his or her talents and capacities in service
to others, to humanity at large — only within such a context diverse cultures and mentalities can promote global solidarity, otherwise
they will be a hindrance to both progress and peace!
» What does ‘service’ mean? What is the moral substance of the concept of ‘service?
» A culture of service provides human beings with experiences of success through service — accomplishing things that are of benefit
to other people, the surrounding community, the society, the world at large!
» The challenge of multiculturalism faced by schools requires, ultimately, nurturing world citizenship based on the principle of Unity
in Diversity!
» A sense of global responsibility and an accompanying culture of service are basic requirements of world citizenship!
Lecture 4:
• The elements of prosperous society — the school class as a ‘miniature society’:
» The purpose of education, for the individual, is to produce “good human beings”, specifically good citizens!
» One can be a citizen only in what we call society, implying certain qualities or conditions of citizenship!
» A society has three basic ingredients or participants: the individuals (or private citizens), the institutions (or system of government),
the community (or social fabric and identity) — i.e.: members, structure, cohesion!
» The three ingredients of the society (individuals, institutions, community) must function properly and in collaboration for the society
to be wholesome, prosperous and sustainable!
» A society has two fundamental ‘safeguards’ or ‘unifiers’: a moral foundation and a legal structure!
» What is the nature and purpose of each of these components? Would just one of them be sufficient?
» The moral foundation and the legal structure of the society are interrelated but different; they interact and, at best, complement each
other but cannot replace each other; particularly, law cannot replace morals (cf. responsibility & freedom vs. obligations & rights)!
» The class is a miniature society; curricula and teaching plans should be designed with the idea of “the class as a miniature society”
in mind — and the underlying principle of any society is Unity in Diversity; therefore, also the fundamental principle for the class, as
a miniature society, is Unity in Diversity!
» The class, as a miniature society, contains the same three element as any society: the individual (pupils and the teacher), the
institutions (the teacher as an institution), the community (a shared sense of purpose)!
» The class, as a miniature society, needs to have, like any society, a moral foundation (shared values and aspirations) and a legal
structure (commonly accepted rules)!
» The class, as a miniature society, and the school environment, can be used (a) as a place for learning and practising the culture of
service, (b) as a place where children develop a sense of collective responsibility, enterprise, and achievement!
Lecture 5 (cont’d … ») :
• Western civilization, its global influence, and the dilemma of individualism & materialism:
» The western civilization retains many of its virtues (e.g. sense of enterprise, efficient administration, well-developed science
& technology) — yet, it is the western civilization that, primarily, spreads the culture of individualism and materialism; it is the
western civilization that sets the mode for international standards of “right vs. wrong”, of human rights, of development goals
and policies etc.!
» Central among the ethical standards and modes of action of modern western civilization are the super-value of pluralism (which
is conscious and articulated) and an individualistic-materialistic world view (which is subtle and insidious); as a consequence,
the globally spreading standards in international and interpersonal everyday relations suffer from a distortion!
» The ‘pursuit of happiness’ is increasingly transmuted into an aggressive and almost unlimited self-justification to pursue one’s
own advantage without committing to common weal or a greater purpose — a view that is often aggressive in its operation and
breeds dogmatic adherence to one-eyed individualism-materialism and assumes fanatical characteristics; this trend is steadily
taking the role of a global ‘substitute religion’!
» The moral consequences of the individualistic-materialistic world-view are eroding the lives of both the individual and the society:
collapse in the sense of community and self-destructive behaviours inculcated by a dogmatic and lop-sided ideology are, in
themselves, empirical indications of the falsity of that ideology; this is seen, for instance, in the damage done to generations of
youth who were taught to believe that violence, indecency, and selfishness are triumphs of personal liberty!
» The very outcomes of dogmatic individualism-materialism — the unsustainable social trends it has brewed in humanity’s life —
bespeak of the falsity of the ideology: individualism-materialism is not an exhaustive, or even correct, interpretation of reality
and leads, in fact, to a misguided distortion of human nature!
Lecture 5 (« … cont’d … ») :
• Religion as a ‘two-edged sword’ — building vs. destroying unity (cont’d … ») :
» Can religion play a positive role in creating in schools the kind of ‘third culture’ that would draw on the strengths of sub-cultures
and promote a sense of commitment to mutual good?
» The principle of commitment to greater good — invariably advanced by all world religions — has been a driving force in the process
of unification and social maturation; religions have been the engines of the historical and evolutionary imperative of social cohesion
and unification!
» One may rightly ask: If religions have been promoters of “commitment to greater good” and of “cohesion”, how is it then that there
has been, and still is, such hatred and animosity between the followers of various religions, causing such political and cultural
conflicts, such human cruelty and perversity?
» Religion as a two-edged sword: (1) Religions have had an undeniable positive influence on humanity’s societal life — their dynamic
and regenerative impulse which, when in its full vigour, gives new energy to both the lives of individuals and the development of
culture!
» Religion as a two-edged sword: (2) Religions have also had an undeniable negative influence on humanity’s societal life — the
juxtapositions and destructive conflicts caused by the narrow interests and politicization of religious institutions and clergy saps
the flow human development and creativity and halts the original constructive impulse!
Lecture 5 (« … cont’d) :
• Religion as a ‘two-edged sword’ — building vs. destroying unity (« … cont’d) :
» The concept of “religion” is, therefore, problematic: the word means two completely different things, referring to (1) the original
regenerative impulse brought by the life and teachings of the Founder Teacher of a religion, on the one hand, and to (2) the
subsequent dilution of those teachings with compromising interpretations and vested interests of religious leadership, on the
other!
» Religious reconciliation does not call for abandonment of faith in the fundamental teachings of any of the world’s great belief
systems; what is essentially needed, on the part of both religious leaders and the rank-and-file of believers, is the renunciation
of all claims to exclusivity or finality; these claims wrap their roots around spiritual life and suffocate impulses to unity, instead
promoting hatred and violence!
» It is the scriptures of all religions that have always taught the believer to see in service to others not only a moral duty, but an
avenue for the soul’s own approach to God; today, the progressive restructuring of society, on a global level, gives this familiar
teaching new dimensions of meaning!
» The schools of the world face a real challenge in religion: Can they become genuine fora of the emergence of global ethos —
can teachers become promoters of ethical dialogue between various faith communities, taking the step beyond mere religious
tolerance towards religious reconciliation?
Lecture 6:
• Education as an instrument of conflict-resolution, peace-making and community building:
» The foundation of most conflicts is prejudice; the foundation of prejudice is ignorance (or mis-education)!
» How can prejudice be overcome?
» Ignorance can be overcome as knowledge dawns through concerted action and collaboration with others!
» One of the most effective ways to rise above prejudice is to work in unison towards a common goal; where successful, such
education has proven a means for creating an active and responsible civil society and institutions, involving formerly antagonistic
groups in joint efforts of social reconstruction and rehabilitation!
» The root-causes of conflict generally lie in a mindset where a particular interest is pursued at the expense of the interest of the
whole; changing this mindset is, primarily, an educational issue and must be at the core of every crisis management effort aiming
at permanent conflict resolution!
» A well-educated and enlightened population has proven to be one of the most effective means to maintain a stable society and to
promote sustainable civilization; hence, education can be a successful tool for both conflict prevention and post-conflict stabilization!
» Education is a proactive process of socialization during which the learners adopt their identity as promoters of cooperation and
solidarity, as community builders, and to perceive their own role in the society as something more than just receivers of social and
community benefits!
» Thus, education is, potentially, a manageable change agent for international, social and human development; education is,
fundamentally, an investment in future!
» Although the importance of education as a means for sustainable development, promoting international stability and preventing
conflict has been emphasized by almost all international stakeholders, education has rarely, if at all, been utilized as a strategic
and systematic instrument for stabilizing societal conditions and for society building!
“While Finland is my fatherland, Europe is our hereditary land, but
it is the world that is our only home, our only native land!”
• Mika Waltari (1979) •
“We have had a profound paradigm shift about the whole Earth. We know it now as a jewel in the space,
a fragile water planet. And we have seen that it has no natural borders.”
• Marilyn Ferguson (1980) •
“... we are one race, on one planet, with total responsibility for the future of both.”
• Willis Harman (1970) •
“Right living is no longer the fulfilment of an ethical or religious demand. For the first time in history
the physical survival of the human race depends on a radical change of the human heart.”
• Erich Fromm (1976) •
“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”
“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone,
cause it to reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”
“That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. …
It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world.
The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”
• Bahá’u’lláh (circa 1880) •