Interdisciplinarity and self-reflection in civics

1. Interdisciplinarity and self-reflection in civics Presentation at NOFA 4 May 29th–31st 2013 NOFA 4 - Trondheim Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

2. Nordidactica • http://www.kau.se/nordidactica/samtliga-nummer/nordidactica-20111 Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

3. Globalization and Citizenship • The question is how to act as a citizen (as a democrat) in global space and in national space in global times? • What are the problems facing the citizen in the era of globalization? • How can citizen education empower students to act as democratic citizens in a global world which is not absolutely democratic and often highly undemocratic? Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

4. Intended outcome of civic education in the Danish upper secondary school – the multi level problem Curriculum aim: • Students acquire competence to act knowledgeable (kyndigt) and authoritative(myndigt) as democratic citizens And we can add: • in matters concerning local community level, state level and the global level. Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

5. Fiveperspectives on globalization • Globalization as internationalization • growth of cross-border relations and interdependency among the countries • Globalization as liberalization • removal of government-imposed restrictions • Globalization as universalization • spreading objects and experiences to all corners of the earth • Globalization as westernization or modernization • modernity and globalization intertwined • Globalization as supraterritorialization • A transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions Jan AartScholte, 2000 Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

6. Assumption Jan AartScholte sets up the following assumption, which I will move forward with • Globalization has not displaced deeper social structures in relation to production (capitalism), governance (the state and bureaucratism more generally), community (the nation and communitarianism more generally) and knowledge (rationalism), but • Globalization has prompted important changesto governance of the state and the nationand knowledge, and • Globalization has caused the growth of additional loci of governance besides the state, the spread of additional forms of community besides the nation, and the development of additional types of knowledge. (Sholte2000) Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

7. Instruction can direct curiosity to • how relations and transactions are reorganized in the global space, • weather these relations and transactions are social, economically, political, cultural, • where the transactions takes place; • in business, in digital media, in tourism, in migration and refugee flows etc., • what relations and transactions are about; • power, poverty, climate, peace, conflict etc., and • what the normative foundation for the relations and transactions are; • democratic or non-democratic Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

8. Global problems manifest themselves • In the supraterritorial sphere (true global problems) • the global climate or of violations of human rights • Involves a global citizenship • As import of global problems into a national context • refugees and migrant workers or unemployment caused by outsourcing • Involves mixed local, national and global citizenship • As global consequences of acts taking place in a national context. • citizens’ as consumers of fossil fuels contributing to the climate problem or as investors of pension funds in companies directly or indirectly violating human rights • Involves mixed local, national and global citizen Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

9. Table 1. Combining the triple citizen role and the categories of global problems Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

10. Table 2. The triple role and the four functions of the citizen Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

11. Interdisciplinarity – a didaticalconcept in latemodernity and a tool for the self-governor • The need for interdisciplinarity is due to the development of the knowledge society, an integrated part of globalization • …pressure for greater collaboration across disciplines in research, education and business, and • …future citizens need to make informed choices and apply knowledge independently of narrow and well-defined disciplines. (Klausen 2011 : 34) Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

12. Self-reflection - a didaticalconcept in latemodernity and a tool for the self-governor • Self-reflection is a basic need for late modern citizens, because they hold the triple citizen role and the embedded conflicts of loyalty and ethics • Self-reflection is a useful tool helping finding one’s own feet in the multi-level-dilemma Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

13. Second and thirdorderconcepts • Interdisciplinarity is a secondorderconcept • Interdisciplinary reflections is about adopting perspectives from various disciplines and domains. The citizen needs these skills as a national-state and a national-community citizen as well as a global citizen • Self-reflection is a thirdorderconcept • Self-reflection is a possibility to positions the learner as a citizen Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

14. Didactic model for civiceducation Dialogue 1 Dialogue 2 Dialogue 3 Teacher Student Student Student Topic Use of firstorderconcepts Self-reflection-as-citizen – thirdorderconcept Reflection on interdisciplinarity – use of secondorderconcepts

15. Figure 2. First order reflection Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

16. Figure 3. Second order reflection Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark

17. Figure 4. Third order self-reflection Torben Spanget Christensen, University of Southern Denmark