Nurturing Solidarity: Considering the Internationalization of Research Activities in Kinesiology as a Moral Practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is a growing interest in the internationalization of research activities in higher education institutions. Economic and political motivations are increasingly the key drivers for internationalization which might be viewed as disruptive and insensitive to local contexts, fostering inequality and forms of cultural and socioeconomic imperialism. Unlike this reductionist view of internationalization, we argue that internationalization should be considered a moral practice grounded in solidarity as a key concept to transform the social and material conditions of inequality. It is a solidarity based on sharing the struggle with people, and the will to give, and rethink, ourselves. The aim of this study is to explore the challenges experienced by an academic as she attempts to increase the internationalization of research activities in kinesiology through related research, journals, and academic associations. A critical theoretical framework, based on Freire’s notion of solidarity, encourages the reader to interrogate the way in which they strive toward contributing to the internationalization of research activities in kinesiology. It is suggested that solidarity might direct readers to consider internationalization as the promotion of cooperation among nations and, in turn, improving the quality and relevance of research.