Lesson Overview

As a World Campus student, and particularly as an ESP student, you are aware that we now live in a global society. Happenings across the globe have ripple effects like never before as the world continues to integrate and cross-cultural businesses and families become the norm. Everyone is affected as more and more people are "globetrotting" without ever leaving their homes; with the click of a mouse, the world is at their doorstep!

We'll be using a textbook (the free, electronic version) for this lesson, links to it can be found in throughout the lesson. In the book, Kibert et al. assert that “…social, cultural and business linkages through the Internet, computers, cell phones, and other media, transnational business operations that spread supply chains, workloads, and customers across multiple continents and growing cultural and political connections” have eliminated the option of functioning independently and in isolation in today’s world. (2012) Basically, the authors are saying that the days of operating within our own geographic and cultural boundaries are over.

In this lesson, we hope to lay the foundation for you to graduate as global stewards with the ability to function outside of your inherent native bubbles.

What will we learn?

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

• explain “complex interdependence” and how it relates to energy and sustainability;
• recognize the cultural differences that exist and discuss how it shapes our families, communities, or business practices;

What will be due?

Refer to the Activities page for more information on the assignments for this lesson.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please post to the Canvas Discussion Forum called "Questions" or e-mail the instructor (if the question is personal in nature).

Global Citizenship

Credit: UK Interdependence
Report, 2021

What does it mean to be a global citizen? “A true global citizen possesses a wide view of the world and the part he or she plays in it.” (Alexander 2013) Like it or not, you are part of the first truly global generation of students. Being a part of the World Campus makes that even more true as you “sit” next to your classmates from all over the world every single semester.

In addition to the knowledge you’re gaining in the program, you’re also picking up skills. Analytical skills, critical thinking skills, and some lesser identified skills, like the ability to work in diverse teams, the ability to communicate to diverse audiences, and the confidence to work with people that don’t look or talk like you. All of these things are important in today’s global society.

As graduates of the ESP program, you will be faced with some of the biggest challenges ever encountered. Adequately addressing sustainable food, water, and energy needs with an ever-growing population and ever-shrinking resources is a daunting task. However, you are entering a time when we have insanely fast innovation taking place, the ability to communicate with partners across oceans in the blink of an eye, and the ability to be creative, ethical, and collaborative with those partners. Never before have more challenges existed, but, never before have there been more possibilities to creatively address those challenges.

The learning objective for the ESP competency titled “Global Perspective” encompasses more than knowing what other countries are doing to promote renewable energy. The purpose is far greater than that. We want you to be global citizens, and truly open your eyes to how the world works. Look outside the bubble you are living in. Whether it be a familial, political, geographical, religious, or other bubble, we want you to realize that differences exist and that is okay. It’s what makes things interesting! Like I tell my niece, “Different isn’t good or bad, it’s just different!”

As you work your way through the ESP program and into your careers, we hope that you practice open-mindedness to new people and situations. Global citizenship cannot be taught, it must be practiced. Practice seeing beyond your bubble. Encourage those around you to look beyond theirs.

Exploring Interdependence

BRICS leaders meet on the sidelines of G20 in China

Credit: This file is a copyrighted work of the Government of India [3], licensed under the Government Open Data License - India (GODL) [4].

The required reading from the textbook on page 75-76 is short, and just scratches the surface of the "complex interdependence" theory. For more explanation and examination of the subject, read the following excerpts from the article "Theory of Complex Interdependence: A Comparative Analysis of Realist and Neoliberal Thoughts [5]" by Waheeda Rana included below.

In interdependence there are costly reciprocal effects of transaction among the actors. The policies and actions of one actor have profound impact on the policies and actions of the other actors and vice versa. Interdependence does not only mean peace and cooperation among actors, but a relationship between actors characterized by cooperation, dependence, and interaction in a number of different areas, and conflict as well.

Complex Interdependence is a theory which stresses the complex ways in which as a result of growing ties, the transnational actors become mutually dependent, vulnerable to each other’s actions and sensitive to each other’s needs. Complex Interdependence is defined as: “An economic transnationalist concept that assumes that states are not the only important actors, social welfare issues share center stage with security issues on the global agenda, and cooperation is as dominant a characteristic of international politics as conflict.” (Genest, 1996: 140)

...In the world of ‘Complex Interdependence’, despite the increasing economic cooperation and ecological interdependence, the possibility of international military conflicts cannot be ignored. However, unlike the traditional power politics, in ‘Complex Interdependence’ this may not be the zero-sum game. “The politics of economic and ecological interdependence involve competition even when large net benefits can be expected from cooperation.”(Keohane & Nye, 1977:10)

Robert O Keohane and Joseph S. Nye in their book ‘Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition’, described three main characteristics of Complex Interdependence: -

1. Multiple Channels: In international politics there are multiple channels connecting the societies, including all the interstate, transgovernmental, and transnational transactions.
2. Absence of Hierarchy Among Issues: In the world of Complex interdependence, there is no hierarchy among the issues. The dividing line between domestic and foreign policy becomes blurred and there is no clear agenda in interstate relations. There are multiple issues which are not arranged in a clear or consistent hierarchy. Among other things, “military security does not consistently dominate the agenda.”(Keohane& Nye, 1977:25)
3. Minor Role of Military Force: As opposed to the central role that force is given in realist’s world, i.e. an ultimate necessity to guarantee survival, Complex Interdependence assumes that in international relations force is of low salience. When Complex Interdependence prevails, military force could be irrelevant in resolving disagreements on economic issues among members of an alliance, however simultaneously be very important for the alliance’s political and military relations with its rival bloc. According to Keohane and Nye, intense relationships of mutual influence may exist but force is no more considered an appropriate way of achieving other goals such as economic and ecological welfare which are becoming more important, because mostly the effects of military force are very costly and uncertain. (Keohane & Nye, 1977:28)

Excerpts from: Rana, Waheeda. "Theory of Complex Interdependence: A Comparative Analysis of Realist and Neoliberal Thoughts [5]." International Journal of Business and Social Science 6, no. 2 (2015).

Think Globally, Act Locally?

Cartoon of girl (Queen) and boy (King).

Credit: Heidi Sporre © Penn State University is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [6]

I'm sure you've heard the saying "Think globally, act locally!" but have you actually thought about what that means? The concept, originally used in the context of environment and sustainability, has now been widely customized for use when discussing brand proliferation in other countries. If you Google "Think globally, act locally" you will find a plethora of articles about how to customize products to be desired by those in a new geographic marketplace (e.g., the Chicken Maharaja Mac, the most popular McDonald's dish in India). When considering the original context, the use of the phrase "think globally, act locally" to promote consumables (especially mass-produced fast food) is nearly blasphemy!

Do you ever wonder if the efforts you make at home and in your local community make a difference when considering the big picture? Page 76 of our reading states that "...in order to pursue sustainability effectively, people must concern themselves first and foremost with the local communities in which they live and work." Alternatively, critics of localized efforts note that "Encouraging people to focus on local problems may lead them to ignore the larger contexts in which those problems have developed." (Kibert et al., 2012)

For many of us, the simple, home-based and regional efforts represent the most direct route to make a difference. It may be the only way we're able to be an activist for sustainability. If we're only able to participate by recycling, using mass transit, and eating less meat, does that make us insignificant in the fight against climate change? As the authors of our textbook state, "Ultimately, the pursuit of sustainability must always be Janus-faced [7], with one eye turned toward the local community and one eye turned toward the world community." (Kibert et al., 2012, 76-77)

Watch the following video in its entirety. It is 14 minutes and 28 seconds long. If the video isn't showing below, follow this link: https://youtu.be/XvjaIrYlkIg?si=BJjbF9mgLTzW26wW [8]

Part 1

Answer the following questions with a minimum 150 word response (see further directions at the bottom of the page):

• Are you able to identify your cultural biases and what has influenced them?
• Do you spend time with people that have different life experiences than you? Provide an example of what you have learned from that person regarding their history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs and practices.
• How do you plan to learn more about other cultures?

Part 2

Consider how you would rate yourself on the following areas listed in the table below. For each item in the first column, choose a rating (1, 2, 3, or 4) for yourself and provide a few sentences of why you feel the rating is appropriate. See further directions below the table. If it's hard to see the text on the table below, you can find it here: Link to Intercultural Fluency Table [9]

The Intercultural Fluency Table

Valuing, respecting, and learning from people with diverse backgrounds (e.g., ability, age, culture, economic status, educational level, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation). The individuals demonstrate, openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals' differences (www.wcupa.edu [10])

Format your assignment submission as follows:

Part 1

List the first question above, provide the 150 word minimum response.

List the second question above, provide the 150 word minimum response.

List the third question above, provide the 150 word minimum response.

Part 2

List the header of the first row in the table (e.g. Cultural Self Awareness) then the rating (e.g. 2) then provide 1-4 sentences of why you've rated yourself at that level.

So on and so forth, for all 6 rows of the table.

An example for Part 2:

Cultural Self-Awareness = 2. I grew up in Central Pennsylvania on a diary farm with 4-H friends and family. I wasn't exposed to anyone "different" than me, meaning there was no diversity as it relates to ethnicity, culture, race, religion, sexual orientation. My cultural rules were never "challenged" meaning, there were no alternatives introduced to me until I was at college. Even now, although I've been acclimated to other ways of life, and now understand that you cannot assume you know anything about any person based on looks and limited knowledge, I still occasionally catch myself (embarrassingly), entering a conversation with someone new with pre-conceived ideas of "who" they may be.

Submit as a word document to the dropbox for Lesson 12.

Summary

We discussed a lot of different ideas related to global perspective in this lesson. Our history as a melting pot has influenced the way we do things in our work and home lives - more than we even realize. Our future as a global participant will continue to promote this trend, and we will see more and more "outside" influences in every aspect of our day-to-day lives. Being a global citizen and understanding the interdependency that exists is only part of the picture. Kenneth Boulding, in his last speech to the UN in 1965, referred to the idea of "Spaceship Earth" and stated:

We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent upon its vulnerable reserve of air and soil; all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation by the care, the work, and I will say, the love we give our fragile craft. (Kibert 2012)

References