Recasting Global Competency with Integral Theory

• In Event: Poster Session: Education for global citizenship and competence: Comparing policies, practices and outcomes

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore a new model for looking at the construct of global competency and its development. Global competency is a term that is often associated with a human capital approach, however when viewed through a different lens it can take on a more humanist light. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to recast the construct of global competency

The mode of inquiry for this paper was chiefly a review of literature. The literature review delved into empirical studies as well as theoretical papers on global competency, global citizenship, cosmopolitanism, international mindedness, and intercultural competency. The purpose behind the review was to investigate the definitions of the previous terms as well as explore theories on their development. The information from the literature review was used to help formulate a possible new model for global competency using a novel conceptual framework.

The conceptual framework for this paper is Integral Theory as developed by Ken Wilber (2000, 2007). Wilber developed Integral Theory in the 1980s and 90s as a backlash to post-modernism and its predilection to relativism and parsing everything into smaller and smaller parts. Consequently, integral Theory advocates using five elements of analysis to produce a holistic picture of what is under study. These five elements are:
• quadrants which represent four arenas of experience: individual subjective, individual objective, collective subjective, collective objective;
• stages of development which have many levels that move from egocentric to ethnocentric to world-centric;
• lines of development that represent how different areas, such as cognitive, affective, and self-awareness, advance from egocentric to world-centric as well;
• states of consciousness, such as waking, dreaming, altered; and
• types of consciousness which includes gender and personality types (McGuigan, and Popp, 2012; Wilber, 2000)

The phenomena of global competency when reconstituted using the three of the elements of integral analysis on the literature produced a holistic and dynamic picture of the construct. The quadrants analysis trended with the definitions in literature but more clearly illustrating the many facets of global competency. Additionally, it became quickly apparent that global competency would be situated in the world-centric stages of development. The two methods of analysis that were not applied were states and types of consciousness, as additional empirical research would be necessary to integrate them.

However, the more interesting results came when considering the lines of development. Overall, the best model in the literature for the development of global competency would be derived from those of Deardorff (2006) involving intercultural competency. Deardorff proposes models that are linear in nature with attitudes and beliefs being the starting point. An integral model with its lines of development would contradict this linear nature. In essence, every individual’s development would be unique, and any one of the lines of development involved in global competency could be the starting point to its outcome. This is an important idea because it dictates a more holistic approach to fostering global competency rather than limiting to an initial focus on affective areas.

Overall, the analysis appears to show that integral theory does recast global competency. However, this initial paper has only touched on the potential to build a new workable model for global competency. One major conclusion that can be drawn from this work is the need to continue it with empirical research to fully develop this construct.

This integral model of global competency is important to the field of international education because of its dynamic and holistic nature. When looked at in this manner, global competency becomes more than a checklist of attributes or a predetermined process of inputs to get certain outputs. The integral model illustrates the varying paths of development for global competency and highlights how its characteristics can vary among individuals. Understanding the uniqueness of global competency’s development and its manifestations can help improve international education programs and thus its outcomes. A more globally competent individual in the integral sense is untimely a more humanist one.

 
References

Deardorff, D. K., (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241-266. doi: 10.1177/1028315306287002

McGuigan, R., & Popp, N. (2012). Consciousness and conflict (explained better?). Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 29(3), 227-260. doi: 10.1002/crq.21042

Wilber, K. (2000). A theory of everything: An integral vision for business, politics, science and spirituality. Boston, MA: Shambhala.

Wilber, K. (2007). The integral vision: A very short introduction to the revolutionary Integral Approach to life, God, the universe, and everything. Boston, MA: Shambhala.

Author

• Dana Moore, George Mason University