Chapter 10: Epilogue: The Future of Teaching and Research in Global Citizenship Education

The accelerated movement of people, information, and goods across borders compels educators to develop new ways of teaching about communication, transportation, and economics, as well as how students conceptualize their responsibility as citizens. While some consider one’s nationality, cultural heritage, and ethnicity to be most important for determining citizenship, mobility, transnational mentality, and a sense of citizenship that transcends place can play a more important role in how educators approach citizenship education. Take, for example, the following scenarios when considering the complicated terrain of conceptualizing global citizenship: Within one day last fall I participated in a Skype conversation with an instructor and her students in Durban, South Africa, watched a video on Youtube about poverty in Brazil, taught a class that included use of multiple sources produced by Chinese citizens and organizations to discuss ethnicity and citizenship, and watched a film produced in Iran after having dinner at an Indian restaurant. I was able to do all of this within walking distance of my home (and, in the case of Skype and Youtube, without leaving the house). Regardless if such occurrences transpire on a single day, multiple days, or on multiple occasions regularly, do experiences alone make someone a global citizen?