Linfield Faculty Lecture Series

Title

Culture and the Global World: Educating the Citizen of the 21st Century

Streaming Media

Document Type

Video File

Duration

1 hour 16 minutes 53 seconds

Publication Date

9-17-2014

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Critical and Cultural Studies

Abstract

Global awareness has become a critical focus of academic programs and the mission of higher education institutions. The 21st century world requires individuals with skills that enable them to deal with cultural difference. Dr. Violeta Ramsay (associate professor of Spanish at Linfield College) discusses her research on learning and teaching culture and global awareness. She also describes how this research is important to the curriculum and quality of programs abroad, the preparation of students going abroad, the achievements of language majors, and the cultural components of college courses.

Ramsay's research shows the globalized world requires individuals who are able not only to work with people of different cultural backgrounds but who also can confront difference or diversity in any context to make ethical and informed decisions when cultural aspects are at stake. Recent research in the field of language acquisition connects to the acquisition of cultural proficiency. Research indicates that humans acquire the ability to deal with difference—ethnic or any other type—in developmental stages; each higher or more developed stage offers broader skills in dealing with difference. Individuals react to difference according to the stage they have reached, and this has broad ramifications for the world of the 21st century. Ramsay describes the cultural aptitudes that each of those stages allows, as well as some of those ramifications.

Comments

Sponsored by the Linfield College Office of Academic Affairs.

Share

COinS