Globalisation & citizenship...

In the Erasmus-program we had 7 Globalisation and citizenship classes with Torbjorn and Henrik.

The first lesson was with Torbjorn in 20 th of February. We had to think what's the meaning of globalisation. The result of the brainstorming is:

• smaller world
• similarity
• national signs start to disappear
• interconnection
• interdependent
• substitution...etc.

We also learnt globalisation is not something new: it started with the Catholic Church and continued by the invention of steamship, railway, telegraph...etc.
We had to fill in to forms. The first was about cultural changes throghout of generations, in different dimensions.

The generations are:

• My grandparents
• My parents
• Myself
• My children

The dimensions are:

• Family/housing
• Education/job
• Technology
• International relations
• Food culture

We agreed in the followings:

Family/housing: In the past more generations lived together, couples are married, they had a stable life. Later it changed: generations started to separate, less children was born. Nowadays the number of divorces is raising, couples live together without marriage.

Education/job: In the past the majority of people had only elementary knowledge, being well-educated wasn't an expectation. Later it became more and more important. In these days people part of the "lifelong learning" and participate in higher education is expected. But in the same time the value of degree is less and less.

Technology: the world becomes increasingly "machine-ruled", which result in an inpersonal world.

International relations: In former times people were more isolated, than nowadays. The world is distended, and the international relations become more and more important (interconnection, multicultural communities).

Food culture:Back in time people grown their own goods, or at least they knew the makers of the products . Later the factories also started to make products and in these days the goods getting more similar; the economy ruled by the East and the developements go to the same directions.

The other form was a survey about young people in Europe. We had to compare the situation of young adults in our country and in Denmark (estimation).
The result of it was really interesting:

About family:
Most of the countries - where we live - young people move away from their parents after the age of 25. In Denmark at the age of 20 82% of them have already left their home.
Boys and girls leave their parents at the same age in these countries (no difference).
Most of the countries - where we live - young adults leaving their parents to establish their own family. In Denmark the main reason is a plight for autonomy. The root of it is in the Danish education, which emphasise the importance of autonomy. (This autonomy does not mean a break with the parents: young people move to the next town, city from their home. This is the main difference with young adults in the United Kingdom, where they move as far as they just can. )
The reason, young people staying with their parents in our countries is mainly economic: they can't afford themselves to buy a flat, house.

About studies: the majority of the answers corresponded each other:
We don't pay for our studies: only for the books and the cost of travelling and we finance our living cost out of scholarship/parental help.
We have jobs besides our studies, which is mainly temporarly (after school, in the afternoons or at the weekend). It is also common to have a permanent job during the weekdays and study at the weekends.
Young people enroll to higher education after secondary/grammar school (age of 18-20) and they finish their first qualification within 4-5 years. But it is common to start an other course during study in the other one (so it could be longer).

17th of March we had an other lesson with Torbjorn, where we learnt about how the world has changed throughout the centuries (pre-modernity - feudal, modernity - post-feudal, late modernity - industrial, post-modernity - gather/hunter) in the following dimensions: technology, subject, language, ideal, order, learning...etc.
Then we examined a diagram (Johannes Andersen), which shows the changing of childhood, youth, adulthood and old age within 60 years (1949-2009). Nowadays:

• the childhood is much shorter, than used to be
• we try to live as a young people as long as we can
• there is a certain group of youngsters - at the age of 9-11, between the group of children and youth - , who have lots of money and they're influenced by their parents (irresponsibility)
• the old age is much shorter time, than in the past

After that we had a brainstorming about what the democracy is. The answers are:

• freedom of speech
• freedom of movement
• freedom of religion
• power comes from people
• same rights for everybody - voting
• freedom to own property
• cancelling goverment
• tolerance: we have to live with different opinions

Then we learnt about the Popper Matrix as well:

	Individualism	Collectivism
Egoism	1. Liberal	2. Totalitarian
Altruism	3. Conservative	4. Socialist

The foundation of wellfare system is in the more or less socialist ideas of square 4 and it was created during the 1950-60's.
During the 1980-90's - when societies changed from industrial modernity to information-based late modernity - the shift has changed towards square 1, the square of individualism and egoism (market-centered thinking). The other direction of change is the movement towards the collective egoism - square 2 - (raising nationalism, the fears of foreigners...etc.)
Nowadays we live in the time of egoism and individualism.
If we draw a circle in the shift, we get the circle of tolerance. In square 4 there are the social democratic parties of modern day inside the circle and the old-time communist party of th Soviet Union is outside of the circle and this is the same with Nazis in squre 2, where we find the modern nationalist parties.

The following lesson (19 th of March) with Torbjorn we discussed the way how we can train young people to be democratic?
We were diveded to 4 groups and we had to create theories about it, and the signs of the theories as well.
Our group - group 1 - had the following ideas about teaching democracy:
Theories: feedback (of students), same rights, common decisions/goals, voting, groupwork, free choices, telling circle, work together with parents/collegues, same rights for all...
Signs of the theories above in class: respect each other differences, no bullying, less stess, discussion of problems (without the teacher as well)...

Group 2:
Theories: student's own rules, student's parlament, constructive critics from teacher, free from examination
Signs: to make a compromise, constructive critics from students...

Group 3:
Theories: involving pupils, integration
Signs: evaulation both of the pupils and teacher, final evaluation by students

Group 4:
Theories: do not compare students, voted classroom leader/organiser, free from religion lesson, no hard punishments, drama games to teach democracy...
Signs: pupils can speak freely, equality, respectation, using the mind and keep back power

Finally we had to criticise each others answers, which was the hardest part - I suppose. Why this was the hardest? Because it showed that everybody beleives the best solution belongs to him/her, so it is difficult to accept others answers. You have to respect others opinions and you also have to protect your own view. Therefore this is the real meaning of freedom of speech, which also shows the meaning of democracy. It does not mean you can do everything whatever you want, because you also have to respect others freedom, which is limit you...

The next lesson (20 th of March) what we had was with Henrik, who showed this subject from a different viewing angle. It was less theoretical and he brought lots of example from life.
We started with a stone test. Everybody had to pick up a stone and keep it in palm very thigtly for a while. After 15 minutes it became very aching.
The task was symbolic: the pain showed you have to pay the cost and not just want to be paid! It is not enough to have an expectation from the community, from society; you also have to do something for them.

Then we started to examine Obama's speech: we had to find the words, which refers to citizenship in 3 levels:

• person to person
• national
• global

The most important keywords are:
positive words: sacrifice, service, trusful, equility, freedom, hope, enduring spirit, deserve a chance, risk-taker, deserve a chance, greatness must be earned, fought and died, create, extend opportunity, rule of the law, dignity, the rights of man, cooperation, spirit of service, courage, kindness, selflessness, foundation; negative words: violence, greed, collective failure, destroy, corruption...etc. The rest of the lessons with Henrik we worked these words above: all ot the tasks connected these words one way or the other.

For the next lesson - 23rd of March - we were diveded to groups and we had to prepare a small presentation about how the democracy works in our education system. You can see our - Noémi&Máté's and my - presentation below...

How the democracy works in our education system?

Although our system was changed from socialism to democratic republic in 1989 – so nearly 20 years ago - , the conscious way of teaching democracy is not really exist.

We tried to find some typicals in our country which maybe can show the infancy of how democracy is taught in our education system; some examples:

• university/college: there is a certain group of students who try to solve problems of the rest of the students, they have representative tasks, they have to organise events, trips…etc. These students are chosen by the community of students.

(Keywords are: choose, election, president…)

• Secondary school/grammar school: „organiser”, who responsible for the money of the class – spend on trips, flowers for teacher, representative tasks - , she/he also chosen by the community of students

(Keywords are: choose, election, president…)

• Everybody has the right to participate in higher education (until age of 18 is compulsory)

(Keywords are: freedom, risk-taker, deserve a chance, sacrifices…)

• Until the age of 18 to paricipate in education is free (and compulsory as well) for everyone; after that everybody has the right to participate in higher education, but „greatness is never a given. It must be earned”, so whenever somebody wants to enroll a college/university he/she has to work very hard – in certain universities there are enroll exams - , before to get there, and during the years, otherwise students have to pay.

(Keywords are: responsibility, freedom, risk-taker, deserve a chance, sacrifices, cooperation, ….)

• The last year in primary school, when a child reach the age of 14, he/she has the right to decide which kind of school he/she wants to enroll with the guidance of parants and teachers.

(Keywords are: responsibility, freedom, deserve a chance, cooperation, the rights of the man, rule of the law…)

• When a child reach the age of 14, he/she get an ID card and number as well.

When a youth reach the age of 18, he/she get the right to vote .

(Keywords are: the rights of the man, rule of law, responsibility, freedom,….)

Subjects, where our education system teaches democracy in different ways are:

• Geographey/Biology: emphasise the importance to protect our environment, the planet of Earth

(Keywords are: responsibility, duties to ourselves/our nation and the world, dignity, rule of the law, cooperation….)

• Literature, History: emphasise of the values of the nation, one’s identity; these subjects shows the member of the community who sacrificed themselves for the nation in differetn ways during the history (celebrating National Day on 15 March).

(Keywords are: sacrifices, trustfull, humble,greatness must be earned, fought and died, create, selfnessless, courage….)

• Civics: emphasise the importance of democracy, what are the issues of democracy and the typicals of democracy. The different kind of parties are also discussed in this lesson and the importance of voting, and the way of it, as well.

(Keywords are: freedom, risk-taker, extend opportunity, rule of the law, rights of man, responsibility….)

• Lesson with form master: Different sort of problems are discussed here, in democratic way (e.g. by voting about a trip) – depends on the personality of the teacher.

(Keywords are: trustfull, create, freedom, choose, cooperation, deserve a chance ….)

There are some spontaneus ways of teach/learn democracy in classroom, for instance:

1. Integration: living/learning with students in special needs, social problems…

2. Volunteer jobs for students in upper secondary school/university/college by the guidance of– for example – Red Cross or other foundations

(Keywords are: responsibility, trustfull, deseve a chance, equality, extend opportunity, duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, kindness, selflessness, courage, cooperation, peace…. )

After we discussed all of the presentations, we watched two videoclips from YouTube: one of them was Michael Jackson: Earthsong and the other one was Black Eyed Peas: Where is the love? After we watched each of them, we got the text of the lyric and we had to find the words from the text, which shows citizenship.

The Earthsong shows the common responsibility of people: what we did already? What we can leave for the next generations? The symbol of citizenship is to build up something, but we just keep pull down: Abraham's promiseland burned down...But the storm is also a symbol, it could be us, those who can clean up everything, recreate what we destroyed before. The video shows a resurrection in secular interpretation, but it has a religious context as well. It also symbolised the values in our head is not enough, we have to act!

The other one - Where is the love? - is about "Where is the citizenship?"
Some quotations from the text, which shows "collective failure" of citizenship:

• "...if you only have love for for your own race/Then you only leave space to discriminate..."
• "Nation droppin' bombs/Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones..."
• "Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother/A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover/The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug..."
• "I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder/As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder..."
• "Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity/Whatever happened to the fairness in equality/Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity/Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity..."

These quotations also refer to the negative words from Obama's speech...
The video below is not the official one, but - I think - is more schocking and it also shows the sign of awakening...

We watched the "music" part of The Shawshank Redemption movie as well in this lesson.
The scene is also very symbolic: the whole story takes place in a prison: the director of the prison a sort of God, who makes rules on his own. One of the prisoners - Andy - decides to do something extraordinary, which is against the strict rules. In the library - which he needs to organise - he put a record on and attached the recordplayer to the mikrophone to let the others hear them "beuty of music". The books and the music is the symbols of freedom: the freedom what you have even when there are lots of walls.

On the 25th of March we had a special lesson with Torbjorn. We had to bring videos, pieces of movies about how to teach democracy?
The films are:

Take the lead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xwsNzgd2k
the most important message of this part (in teacher's room) is: trusting in myself and others, beleive in ourselves; to dance is a "teamwork and dignity, which gives the vision of the future" these kids

Dead poets society: the message of this scene to beleive yourselves.

Pink Floyd: Wall:
"We don't need more education, teachers leave the kids alone..."
The message of this video: School should not control the minds of children, otherwise they will fight for the freedom.

Freedom writers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-gv6af-tw&feature=PlayList&p=BC80CDAF13A01C57&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=25
Most important message is: to respect each other; animosity and racial division is not issue in anything.

Dangerous minds: "Nobody forcing you be here. You have a choice: you can stay or you can leave..." / "Do you have a choice to get on that bus?...."/"There are no victims in the classroom!"
Most important message is: life is always offer choices, it is your choice, which one you want, but you have to responsible for it.

Mona Lisa smile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYoh-BkVZsc&feature=related
In this scene the teacher completely failed with her old teching method, because students knows everything about facts perfectly. Later she changes her method and teach them knowing facts is not enough; understanding them is also important.

One flew over the cucko's nest: The message of this scene is: even these patients in a ward, which is most of the time against democracy (ignoring the voting, strict rules), they still can have freedom.

We also learnt about the" language of giraffe", which is reinventation of the non-violent communication by Marshall Rosenberg. During the thousands years we developed the language of domination, which is classify the other person.

The bad ways of communicaton are:

• analysis
• judgements
• diagnosing

In language of giraffe is very important:

• to listen: what is/are behind the word(s)
• do not be angry, if somebody speaks the way like that, because it means she/he has needs
• the person can decide to fulfill the other person needs, or - "goes in a different direction" - he/she has to able to say: "no".
  

Giraffe has a symbolic meaning: this animal has a biggest heart among animals, so this language comes from heart.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dpk5Z7GIFs&feature=PlayList&p=0386DE8E4E6987CF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5)

On 27th of March we had the last lesson of this module with Henrik. We had to prepare in advance a pocketmovie about democracy in everyday life. We prepared one movie together, you can see below:

We also watched that part of the Lord of the rings (Fellowship of the ring), when it was decided to destroy the ring. We had to examine this scene by the negative and positive words of Obama's speech.
Negative words, which are in this scene:

• destroy: distroy of the ring
• violence, corruption, temptation: everybody can tempted by power, so everybody can be evil
• only one choice: the ring have to be destroyed: "One of you must do this!"

Positive words, which are in this scene:

• equality: freedom of speech, kings and hobbits are the same place
• fellowship:
• sacrifices, risk taker, freedom, selflessness, mission: Frodo offfer to go to wasteland to destroy the ring
• trustfull, cooperation, courage, dignity: the other hobbits decide to go with him and the others offer their arms (sword, ax...)
• hope, rule of the law, unity of purpose: to own the ring is like the power of God and nobody can cope with it (responsibility for the next generation).

It was a really unique experience to have this module. It showed me it is not enough to watch, you have to see as well: we have to see what's going on around us, because this is the way to understand the world. It is also important to not judge at the first time: things are never only black and white...