Stop Training Political Hobbyists! Citizens via Trans-National Women’s Activism

• In Event: Global Civic Engagement Education: Ideas, Directions, and Calls for Action

Abstract

The authors of this chapter criticize higher education’s “global citizenship” initiatives for prioritizing knowledge about nation-states and familiarity with global communities as a way to prepare students for individual achievement in professions that increasingly require them to work with diverse others in an interconnected world. At best, this approach transforms students into global “political hobbyists” willing to debate public issues that cut across national boundaries, but who lack the civic interest or political skills required to resolve them. To cultivate truly engaged global citizens, the authors recommend approaches grounded in transnational feminist epistemology and pedagogy. Such work, which takes women’s intersectional identities and the variation in their lived experience seriously, underscores the importance of empathy and reflexivity as critical civic skills that students should master before moving on to seeking influence over global issues. Specific learning experiences that incorporate transnational feminist practices include listening to and crafting testimonios, preparing for a Fifth World Conference for Women, and addressing glocal issues at home. While higher education in general and political science in particular pose obstacles to transnational feminist activism as civic engagement, the authors argue it is the best way to address the needs and interests of a changing, diverse student body. It is also the best way fulfill the civic mission of our institutions and our discipline.

Authors

• J. Cherie Strachan, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Lori Poloni-Staudinger, Northern Arizona University

• Candice D. Ortbals, Abilene Christian University