Empathy as a Foundation for Global Citizenship Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Erased, Buried, and Precarious Accountings of U.S. Students' Racialized Experiences

Abstract

In a world fraught with increasing ethnocentrism, white supremacy, xenophobia, oppression, and genocide—how might empathy nurture a greater sense of solidarity and global citizenship? This paper begins by discussing the meaning of empathy, its social role, and the phenomenon of empathic bias. It then introduces the construct of “inclusive empathy”—that which is directed towards outgroups on various dimensions. Next, it outlines the goals of Global Citizenship Education and discusses how these goals might be realized through the cultivation of empathy in K-12 schools. Finally, it explores how a pedagogy of empathy may be implemented as a means to mitigate ethnocentrism and promote inclusivity, global solidarity, and human flourishing.

Author

• AnnaLise Hoopes, University of California - Los Angeles