University Environment and Global Citizenship Identification

Marion E Blake,Iva Katzarska-Miller,Lindsey Pierce,Shonda Gibson,Stephen Reysen

doi:10.5539/jedp.v5n1p97

Abstract

We examined the influence of the university environment (Study 1), and specific college courses (Study 2), on the antecedents and outcomes of global citizenship identification. In Study 1, participants’ perception of the university environment as prescribing a global citizen identity predicted the perception of one’s normative environment as prescribing this identity and global awareness (antecedents) leading to greater identification with global citizens. Global citizenship identification then predicted greater endorsement of prosocial values and behaviors (outcomes). In Study 2, participants’ perception of a class as encouraging greater global understanding influenced the antecedents, global citizenship identification, and its outcomes. The results highlight the importance of a university setting as a normative environment for development of global citizenship identification and related prosocial values.

Highlights

Globalization has increased cross-cultural interaction and global interdependence through the widespread use of media, information and communication technology, world travel, and international trade (Gelfand, Lyons, & Lun, 2011)
The results show that global citizenship identification is uniquely related to prosocial values and behaviors, whereas the norms associated with other identities are not
The results showed that participation in courses with globally infused curriculum predicted global awareness, which in turn predicted greater global citizenship identification and prosocial outcomes at the end of the semester

Summary

Introduction

Globalization has increased cross-cultural interaction and global interdependence through the widespread use of media, information and communication technology, world travel, and international trade (Gelfand, Lyons, & Lun, 2011). Global citizenship education has been championed as a vehicle for accomplishing this goal through fostering global citizenship identification (Pike, 2008). Past theorizing on global citizenship suggests that identifying as a global citizen is related to beneficial outcomes such as prosocial values (Dower, 2008; Oxfam, 1997; Schattle, 2008). Empirical research (e.g., Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013a; Reysen, Larey, & Katzarska-Miller, 2012) has identified a number of prosocial outcomes consistently associated with viewing oneself as being a global citizen (e.g., valuing diversity, intergroup empathy). Building upon recent advances in understanding a global citizen identity, the present studies investigate the influence of one’s educational environment on antecedents, identification, and outcomes of global citizenship

Results

Discussion

Conclusion