An Historical Materialist Critique of Cosmopolitanism in Education

• In Event: Capitalism, Knowledge, and Democracy

Abstract

In the wake of the Jasmine Revolutions, cosmopolitanism will likely attract further positive interest from progressive educators. This paper assesses cosmopolitanism, evaluating its normative claims for social justice from a Marxian perspective. Specifically, it asks if turns toward cosmopolitanism in educational discourses facilitate emancipatory responses to neoliberal globalization. Cosmopolitanism is found to be a persuasive ethical stance seriously hindered both by a paralyzing indeterminacy and a persistent failure to explicate the cultural realm in relation to political economy. In particular, globalization and the political struggle required to connect national and global citizenship practices remain under-theorized. In short, while cosmopolitanism holds appeal as a site of ‘recognition’, it is clearly not a site of collective action from a critical, materialist perspective.

Author

• Terezia Jadranka Zoric, University of Toronto