“Cosmopolitan Virtues” in Action: a Qualitative Study of Students’ Experiences of Visits to International Organizations

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 1:45 pm
  In Poster Session: Division G: Section 4-Policies, Mattering, and Praxis Poster Session

Abstract

Addressing the research gap on non-Western student experiences, this study employs Rizvi (2008)’s “cosmopolitan virtues” framework to analyze Chinese students’ visits to international organizations. Combining critical discourse analysis of OECD and UNESCO policies with interviews of 15 students, it reveals Western-centric paradigms (moral/instrumental cosmopolitanism) in international organizations’ initiatives. Findings demonstrate students’ progression from initial motivations to “critical disenchantment” and the development of “everyday cosmopolitanism”, embodying critical, historical, reflexive, and relational virtues.This process validates Rizvi’s framework empirically, enabling students to deconstruct power imbalances and reconstruct identities. The study highlights the visit programs’ potential for fostering critical cosmopolitan learning, suggesting more inclusive design to enhance epistemic virtues and advance global common goods.

Authors

• Yiwen Wang, East China Normal University

• Chunhui Yan, East China Normal University