It’s Cosmopolitan

It’s called ‘cosmopolitan learning’. This notion comes from readings I’ve done for the DS1 course and again in the introduction to Literacy Lives in Transcultural Times by Rahat Zaidi and Jennifer Rowsell. This adjective describes a person or content demonstrating experiences with different parts of the world. Cosmopolitan learning showcases awareness and understanding of global, cultural, relevant, and worldly perspectives.

According to Zaidi and Rowsell (2017), who reference Rizvi (2009), consider that “cosmopolitan learning aims to encourage reflexive responsibilities about the changing relationships within and between national borders” (p. 4). While this is an interesting proposition, it will necessarily take more than a reflexive stance or responsible relationship toward others to engage in cosmopolitan teaching and learning. Zaidi and Rowsell (2017) quote Turner (2002) who finds cosmopolitanism “does not need a strong or hot version of otherness, because its own identity is not profoundly shaped in conflict with others” (p. 57). When shaping cosmopolitan learning opportunities, it’s important to form the conversations from a positive, open-minded stance, as teaching moves into global projects.

This is an idea worth remembering and reflecting on in this PhD work.

Reference

Zaidi, R. & Rowsell, J. (2017). Introduction: Literacy lives in transcultural times. In R. Zaidi, J. Rowsell (Eds.), Literacy lives in transcultural times (2-14). New York, NY: Routledge.