Required reading:
Stein, S. (2021). Reimagining global citizenship education for a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 1-14.
[Available at the UBC library or here at academia.edu]
Reflection questions:
After reading the article, reflect on these questions (you can make notes on your private learning journal):
- Reflect back to previous courses you have taken. How have they prepared you to deal with VUCA?
- Can you think about possible contexts (whether geographical, cultural, historical or otherwise) where that problem might not be applicable, and/or where that solution could be reproducing the same systems of violence that created the problem in the first place? Or the solution creates new (or exacerbates other) patterns of violence in different parts of the system?
- Identify moments where you have been allured by the neoliberal, liberal, and/or critical, GCE approach. What were the underlying motivations under each one of those moments? You may want to use examples of economic, cultural or moral capital, as well as the ‘CIRCULAR’ framework to unpack you reflections
- How is neoliberal, liberal and critical GCE reproducing and benefiting from the “shadow” side of modernity/coloniality described in the article?
- When thinking about GCE for VUCA times, what are the limitations of focusing mainly on a critical intellectual literacy, without tending to the affective and relational rigor?
- Think about three scenarios where you have witnessed the patterns described in the ‘CIRCULAR’ framework in action. Try to identify these in yourself, in someone you know, and within the education institutions you have been a part of. Now try to think about ways in which these scenarios could have unfolded otherwise, trying to avoid falling into other patterns. How difficult is it to do?
For units 2 to 6 you will need to keep notes of the required readings for your assignment. Your weekly assignment will ask you to write 500 words connecting your reflections on the lecture, readings, documentary and walk.