Cosmopolitanism is a concept deep rooted in the recognition appreciation of the diverse world cultures and a strict adherence to the norms. According to Rizvi (2008), it entails a set of cultural attitudes towards the needs of social and economic equality. The educational sector is the most critical area where cosmopolitanism can be incorporated to create more effect (Rizvi, 2008). This paper seeks to interrogate the application of this doctrine in education. Particularly, the questioning will be more embedded in the content taught in educational institutions. This paper will cover cosmopolitan concepts such as multiculturalism in relation to cosmopolitanism, cosmopolitan scopes, cosmopolitan imagination and cosmopolitan learning.
The idea of multiculturalism is associated with the understanding and acting upon the differences associated with the cultural and religious perspectives. The proponents of multiculturalism are opposed to the imposition that members of the minority group in any community should assimilate into the majority group. This ideology provides for diverse world cultures and the recognition of the marginalized. Cosmopolitanism goes a mile further than multiculturalism to address the observance of the ethical rules. This brings out the sense that cosmopolitanism is an extension of multiculturalism.
Critical cosmopolitanism is an emerging trend in the social theories which displays the tendency of studying an object relative to the social world. It shifts the primacy of internal processes to the social world. The cosmopolitan imagination is based on the constituents of the social world. This contributes to the assumption that it is nit divisible into its individual constituents.
Cosmopolitan learning requires that the existing learning materials be replaced with new ones which will suit the required standards. Such materials have to be constructed in the manner that they will adequately address the prevailing political-economic and moral challenges (Zhao, 2015). These new resources should the view the world as interconnected and interdependent. In such a way, the learners will appreciate that the contemporary problems require global solutions.
The extent to which the principles of cosmopolitan education have been achieved can be easily traced from the daily teaching and learning practices. This ranges from the content being offered in school, the methodologies applied by the teachers and even the co-curriculum activities (Pinar, 2013). Consider an English text in the Australian syllabus meant for learners in early stage one. This book titled ‘Henry and Amy' is a replica of what happens today not only at school settings but also in all social surroundings. We all got this friend who is always perfect. In a larger scope, there is this country which is constantly making economic and political successes. Probably, it will in a spun emerge a superpower. While Amy is a perfect learner, Henry struggles to excel. The two befriend one another and engage in activities together..
In my judgment about this book, I would justify that it is perfect to be used in schools to enhance cosmopolitanism. The lesson in this text is worth noting by not only young learners but also adults. Teaching learners values while still at young ages will help them grow into responsible individuals in the society. Perfection can only by achieved through self-acceptance and seek to complement one another. Through unity, we can achieve more. Nations need not fight one another over resources as this is more detrimental. The military powers need to be mitigated, and moral values intensified in world unification. I highly recommend the integration of similar texts in the school curriculum.
References
Papastephanou, M. (2013). Being and Becoming Cosmopolitan: Higher Education and the Cosmopolitan. International Journal of Higher Education, 2(2), 5-34.
Pinar, W. (2013). George Grant’s Cosmopolitan Critique of Education. Encounters on Education, 34(21), 50-72.
Rizvi, F. (2008). Epistemic Virtues and Cosmopolitan. The Australian Educational Researcher, Volume, 35(1), 17-34.
Zhao, G. (2015). The Cosmopolitan Turn and the Primacy of Difference. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 49(4), 510-524.
