International Education

A Changing World and the Need for Improving International Education

There are several factors contributing to the need for better international education. Globalization is one trend. In 2001, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) stated, “The human experience is an increasingly globalized phenomenon in which people are constantly being influenced by transnational, cross-cultural, multicultural and multiethnic interactions.” Globalization refers both to “the compression of the world and to the intensification of the consciousness of the world as a whole.” Globalization has been driven by advances in digital technologies, communications (including the Internet), and industrial technologies, producing efficient communication and transportation systems. The interchanges of local, regional, national, and international economies make possible the worldwide flow of goods, capital, information, and people. An international labor market has become not only possible but inevitable. Globalization increases the likelihood for cultural, political, technological, diplomatic, and military interactions, both positive and negative. These interactions expand people's consciousness of being part of a greater humanity and of sharing a common ecosystem. As we increasingly live in a more globalized environment, our nation's economic prosperity and future security will depend on a labor force that has international knowledge and skills.

Although scholars agree that globalization is a reality, there is a wide range of opinion on what effect it is having on societies. Some see it as a process of standardization, generating increasing homogeneity between cultures and blurring distinctions between national, regional, and local communities. It can also be seen as a stimulus for differentiation and heterogeneity through increased hybridization. And political perspectives on globalization include viewing it as a new form of imperialism, or perhaps an economic means to democratization. Whichever perspective one holds, it is clear that the implications of globalization for the future are still uncertain and promise further debate.

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