Global and Cultural Understanding

Every generation confronts the challenge of discerning what capacities and dispositions are the most important to nurture among its young people at a given moment in time. Today, profound economic, digital, demographic, and environmental forces are shaping people’s lives on the planet, thereby making the promotion of cultural and global understanding a priority. Our contemporary context requires us to examine how (1) young people can develop the capacity to understand themselves as well as people living in contexts that are different to their own; (2) teachers and learning environments can foster learners’ dispositions to make sense of the global issues of our times and take action toward societal wellbeing and sustainability; and (3) such capacities are both supported and hindered in today’s digital landscapes.