Humanism as the Foundation for Global Citizenship Education

Abstract

For a global citizenship education program, an institution’s foundational identity sheds light on its intentions and program ecology. This paper presents qualitative research on global citizenship education through a case study of the Faculty of International Liberal Arts (FILA) at Soka University in Japan. This case study explores how the philosophy of humanism, as articulated by Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Soka University, informs the program ecology at FILA: how his humanistic view of global citizenship translates into the program’s intentions, curriculum, and structure. Through interviews, document review, and observations, the researchers identify the relationships between humanism, the program’s ecology, and the normative environments of the program and university.