III. The United States and the World: Global Connections

Students need broad-based knowledge of global issues and area and culture studies, but they also need to understand their own connections with these issues and cultures. Helping students understand these connections is a major purpose of international and global studies education. Americans are tied to global issues and different cultures in multiple ways, and students must understand the United States's contemporary and historical connections with global issues and regions. This includes studying traditional topics such as U.S. foreign policy and U.S. participation in international organizations, as well as understanding long-term U.S. political and strategic interests.

Citizens have a responsibility through speaking, voting, lobbying, and other forms of participation to affect international issues and U.S. foreign policies. To an extent, citizenship in a global age is part of the usual citizenship programs, and U.S. foreign policy should be part of the American history standards. Likewise, citizens need to be aware of the channels that influence their opinions on global and international issues, such as the press, media, governmental institutions, and private organizations.

A major problem confronting educators interested in teaching students about global and international topics has been one of relevance. Many Americans believe that global issues are not connected to their daily lives. Others are deeply concerned with the effects of global economic competition. Global problems may appear to be too far away to affect them but, for better and worse, we are increasingly linked to global issues and with peoples and cultures throughout the world. This web of interconnections, which has both positive and negative implications, can be found in local communities, religious groups, social and community organizations, and economic linkages.

Knowledge Objectives

Americans have always been connected with the rest of the world, at least since 1492. Historically, Americans of all ethnic groups, including Native Americans, migrated from elsewhere. European colonies in what is today the United States were usually initiated, and often supported and protected, by the mother nation. Colonies relied upon trade for survival, and Americans have always been connected with others in the world through consumer behavior, trade, travel, missionary activities, and other channels. What is new about these interconnections in the late 20th century is their dramatic increase in quantity and significance for all Americans. All projections suggest that our connections with the world will increase even more in the 21st century. To prepare students to live in this interconnected world, we recommend the following knowledge objectives.

1. Students will identify and describe how they are connected with the world historically, politically, economically, technologically, socially, linguistically, and ecologically. Every American is connected directly with the world in a variety of ways, for example, the mail; the Internet; ham radios; the telephone; travel; international organizations or religious groups; economic links, such as purchasing products connected with other countries; and the press and mass media. More than 70 "Your Community and the World" studies have been developed that examine the current global linkages of cities, regions, and states.
2. Students will know and understand that global interconnections are not necessarily benign; they have both positive and negative consequences in the United States. Global inter-connections enhance our lives, and they also may create serious problems. For instance, importing foreign automobiles may add to the diversity and quality of our lives and provide jobs for Americans engaged in their importation and sale, but for workers in U.S. steel mills or automobile factories, these global imports have been devastating. Students need to understand the trade-offs among short-term and long-term consequences of interconnections.
3. Students will know and understand the United States's role in inter-national policies and international relations, particularly since World War II. The United States is the sole remaining global superpower. What we do or do not do affects the lives of people around the world. Students need to understand the strengths and limitations of our influence on other nations. Understanding today's foreign policies requires some knowledge and understanding of past foreign policies and issues.

Skills Objectives

Students need the following skills in order to analyze and evaluate global connections.

1. Students will recognize, analyze, and evaluate major events and trends in American and world history and examine how these events and trends connect to their local communities and the United States today. Our lives today are defined by actions others have taken in the past. Understanding past trends and movements is important in understanding today's world. Usually, United States and world history are taught as discrete courses, but the walls between these subjects are artificial. United States history should be taught in a global perspective and world history should include connections with the United States. Both United States and world history should make connections between past trends and the individual today.
2. Students will recognize, analyze, and evaluate interconnections of local and regional issues with global challenges and issues. Global issues do not arise from some far-away place to affect our local communities. Rather, local communities across the world create global challenges and issues. Students should be able to recognize, analyze, and evaluate how local communities contribute to or help resolve global issues.
3. Students will recognize, analyze, and evaluate the interconnections between their lives and global issues. Students should be able to make the link between their daily actions and how those actions -- or inaction -- influence global phenomena
4. Students will generate alternative projections for the future and weigh potential future scenarios. The future depends upon actions individuals take. Often, the effects of these actions will be delayed for years. Students need to know and understand that their own actions -- or lack of action -- can make a difference to the future.

1. Students will value participation in the democratic process. Through participation, citizens affect government policies. For example, citizens participate by speaking, voting, lobbying, and contributing to campaigns or causes. Each of these forms of participation affects international issues. While in school, students need to practice these activities where appropriate.
2. Students will tolerate ambiguity. Most global issues will not be resolved soon. Having some tolerance for the ambiguities of this complex world is helpful. This does not mean that students should be tolerant of all behavior or situations; nor does it mean that right and wrong solutions cannot be hidden by ambiguity.
3. Students will read newspapers, magazines, and books; listen to radio and television programs that relate to intercultural and international topics; and actively respond to news articles, books, and programs. Local communities change, as will the United States's role in the world. Students will need to continue to learn about international and intercultural topics. Because citizens learn the majority of their information about the world from the press and mass media, students need to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of these sources of information. Students should be encouraged to actively respond to these "one-way" communication systems by discussing programs with peers, family, and others, and by writing letters to the editorial staffs of newspapers and media stations.