not yield to obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans. —Robert F. Kennedy
taxes, or promote conservation, but
unless all countries adopt similar
approaches, it is impossible to address
these problems effectively. However, this
raises a moral difficulty. Because all
countries have the right to pursue a
better, more modern lifestyle for their
people, how can we tell developing
nations not to pursue economic development, even when it leads to pollution
and environmental destruction?
Is it desirable—or even possible—
for everyone on earth to maintain an
American lifestyle? Part of the solution to the problem implied in this
question—that if such a lifestyle
spread, it would unduly tax the
planet—lies in scientific and technological innovations that deliver
a higher standard of living while
consuming fewer natural
resources. For example, energy-efficient
automobiles might enable more people
to drive while consuming the same or a
lesser amount of gas. Changes in human
behavior are also required. Turning off
the water while brushing your teeth is
as important in saving water as developing more efficient irrigation technologies. Recycling, switching off lights, and
simply consuming less can significantly
reduce humans’ impact on earth.
All of these issues require people to
understand the nature of global problems: their causes; potential effects;
complex moral, economic, and political
implications; and possible solutions.
Knowledge of global problems is an
essential component of what makes a
contributing citizen in the global village.
merely serve as continually evolving
containers. Human beings make the
separation in many ways: by race,
gender, belief, skin color, birthplace,
language, interest, political entity, or any
other distinguishable features human
beings may bear. Those who look like
ourselves are “us”; so are those who
believe in the same God, share the same
country, or have the same level of
income. “We” are always better than
“them,” and “we” should always be wary
of “them” because “they” always want to
destroy “us.” For all sorts of psychological, technological, political, and
cultural reasons, most of “us” do not
have direct experiences with “them” or
have much knowledge about “them”
and their real intentions. The lack of
knowledge and understanding feeds the
powerful feeling of fear, which has been
used to start wars and war-associated
activities, such as building up a threatening military arsenal.
Globalization has the potential to
both increase the likelihood and scale of
conflicts and reduce the possibility of
such conflicts. On the one hand, globalization intensifies competition for
resources. It engenders a sense of being
invaded by other countries through
incoming goods and migrants, and it
results in dissatisfaction because of
increased income disparities, exploita-
tion, and destruction of local resources
and cultural traditions (Galtung, 2003;
Stiglitz, 2006). Advances in information
and communication technologies
further heighten the sense of injustice
and exploitation because people around
the globe are more aware of the huge
differences in living standards between
rich and poor. Advanced technologies
have also made conflicts more violent
and destructive than ever before.
On the other hand, global
economic integration binds people
together and makes their interests
more inter-dependent. People are
more unlikely to go to war
because they realize it damages
both parties (Friedman, 1999).
Migration, tourism, and infor-
mation and communication
technologies all provide more opportu-
nities for people to interact with and
learn about one another.
We need citizens who can use globalization to reduce distrust and fear
among different people. This requires a
new mind-set that considers all human
beings as “us,” helping us transcend
traditional racial, religious, political, and
other boundaries.
Understanding Human Conflicts
Wars are perhaps the most costly, self-destructive human enterprise in the
world. Killing others and destroying
others’ properties are often justified
through demonizing others, through
drawing a distinct line between “us” and
“them.”
It is a natural human tendency to do
this, although the “us” and “them”
AUDIO
Visit the ASCD Web site for an
interview with Yong Zhao at
www.ascd.org/authortalks
#zhao.
Understanding Other Cultures
Cross-cultural competency involves a
deep understanding and appreciation of
different cultures. Anthropologists
Daniel Bates and Fred Plog (1990)
define culture as “the system of shared
beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and
artifacts that the members of society use
to cope with their world and with one
another, and that are transmitted from
generation to generation through
learning” (p. 7). This definition encompasses more than just factual knowledge
about a culture. It also points out that
culture is learned and transmitted from
generation to generation, which makes
it fairly stable and ubiquitous—and
largely unconscious. To develop real
understanding of another culture
