Mihai I. Spariosu S U the Growing Interdependence of the Local and the Global Demand Innovative R
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M a k i n g s e n s Making sense of e o Making sense of History f History H i s Studies in Metahistory, Historiography, Historical Culture, and Intercultural Communication t o r General Editor: Jörn Rüsen, Institute for Cultural Studies, Essen Bridging the gap between historical theory and the y study of historical memory, this series crosses the boundaries between both academic disciplines and cultural, social, political, and historical contexts. M i In an age of rapid globalization, which tends to manifest itself on an economic and political level, locating the h cultural practices involved in generating its underlying historical sense is an increasingly urgent task. a i S p REMAPPING KNOWLEDGE a r Intercultural Studies for a Global Age i o Mihai I. Spariosu s u The growing interdependence of the local and the global demand innovative R approaches to human development. Such approaches, the author argues, ought e to be based on the emerging ethics of global intelligence, defined as the ability m to understand, respond to, and work toward what will benefit all human beings a and will support and enrich all life on this planet. As no national or supranational p authority can predefine or predetermine it, global intelligence involves p i long-term, collective learning processes and can emerge only from continuing n intercultural research, dialogue, and cooperation. In this book, the author g elaborates the basic principles of a new field of intercultural studies, oriented K toward global intelligence. He proposes concrete research and educational n programs that would help create intercultural learning environments designed to o stimulate sustainable human development throughout the world. w l e Mihai I. Spariosu received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and is Distinguished d g Research Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens. He has taught at a number of e universities both in the United States and overseas and has published a large number of essays and books, including Global Intelligence and Human Development: Toward an Ecology of Global Learning (2004). Remapping Knowledge Intercultural Studies Educational/Cultural Studies for a Global Age Berghahn Books NEW YORK . OXFORD Mihai I. Spariosu www.berghahnbooks.com This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page i REMAPPING KNOWLEDGE This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page ii MAKING SENSE OF HISTORY Studies in Historical Cultures General Editor: Jörn Rüsen, in Association with Christian Geulen Volume 1 Western Historical Thinking: An Intercultural Debate Edited by Jörn Rüsen Volume 2 Identities: Time, Difference, and Boundaries Edited by Heidrun Friese Volume 3 Narration, Identity and Historical Consciousness Edited by Jürgen Straub Volume 4 Thinking Utopia: Steps into Other Worlds Edited by Jörn Rüsen, Michael Fehr, and Thomas W. Rieger Volume 5 History: Narration–Interpretation–Orientation Edited by Jörn Rüsen Volume 6 The Dynamics of German Industry: Germany’s Path toward the New Economy and the American Challenge Werner Abelshauser Volume 7 Meaning and Representation in History Edited by Jörn Rüsen Volume 8 Remapping Knowledge: Intercultural Studies for a Global Age Mihai I. Spariosu This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page iii Remapping Knowledge Intercultural Studies for a Global Age Mihai I. Spariosu Berghahn Books New York • Oxford This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. Published in 2006 by Berghahn Books www.berghahnbooks.com Copyright © 2006, 2018 Mihai I. Spariosu Open access ebook edition published in 2018 All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Spariosu, Mihai. Remapping knowledge : intercultural studies for a global age / Mihai I. Spariosu. p. cm. -- (Making sense of history ; v. 8) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-84545-081-7 (alk. paper) 1. Cross-cultural studies. 2. Multiculturalism. 3. International education. 4. Multicultural education. 5. Education and globalization. 6. Cultural and globalization. I. Title. II. Series. GN345.7.S63 2005 306--dc22 2005048203 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-84545-081-6 hardback ISBN 978-1-78533-661-4 open access ebook An electronic version of this book is freely available thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access for the public good. More information about the initiative and links to the Open Access version can be found at knowledgeunlatched.org This work is published subject to a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial No Derivatives 4.0 International license. The terms of the license can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. For uses beyond those covered in the license contact Berghahn Books. This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page v Contents Preface Chapter 1 Intercultural Studies: A Local-Global Approach 1 Chapter 2 The Role of the Humanities in a Global Age 58 Chapter 3 Information and Communication Technology for Human Development: An Intercultural Perspective 95 Chapter 4 The Intercultural Studies Academic Program: A Pilot Project in Global Learning and Leadership 143 Appendix. Quantum Relations Theory: A Brief Overview. By Hardy F. Schloer and Philip Gagner 179 Bibliographical References 196 Index 202 This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page vi For Diana, Ana Maria, and Miguel Antonio, with all my love This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page vii Preface This book can best be read in conjunction with its companion volume, Global Intelligence and Human Development (2004). In both volumes I attempt to elaborate the basic principles of an ecology of global learning, oriented toward global intelligence and harmonious human development. In both studies, I reflect on the phenomenon of globalization primarily in its intercultural, rather than in its financial or political, aspects, and seek to turn away not only from the Western-style, utilitarian mentality, but also from the modernist ideology of progress, understood as unlimited growth. Unlike neoliberal ideologues and their antiglobalist opponents, therefore, I do not see globalization as a golden opportunity for the financially wealthy to become even wealthier. Rather, I see it as a renewed opportunity for humanity to embark on a global, paradigmatic shift from a mentality of power and so-called “struggle for life” toward a men- tality of peace and mutually beneficial, intercultural cooperation. But, in order to bring about this paradigmatic shift, we need to create alternative theoretical concepts and cultural blueprints, oriented toward global intelligence, and then work collectively toward their worldwide implementation. We can begin by developing alternative concepts to analyze and evaluate the phenomenon of globalization itself. To this purpose, my two studies explore key concepts such as global intelligence, sustainable human develop- ment, globality, globalism, locality, localism, and the local-global. Thus, I define global intelligence as the ability to understand, respond to, and work toward what will benefit all human beings and will support and enrich all life on this planet. Global intelligence is based on the collective awareness of the interdependence of all localities within a global frame of reference and the enhanced individual responsibilities that result from this interdependence. As no national or supranational authority can predefine or predetermine it, global intelligence involves long-term, collective learning processes and can emerge only from continuing intercultural research, dialogue, and cooperation. The phrase “what will benefit all human beings” in the preceding para- graph, however, should not be understood in the utilitarian, restricted sense that implies the excessive, materialistic and consumerist mentality currently This open access library edition is supported by Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale. 00-prelims 12/16/05 4:15 PM Page viii viii Preface spreading to many parts of the globe. Nor should “human development” be understood primarily in terms of neoliberal, economic development, as is all too often the case in public discourse today. In the long run, such utilitarian and reductive modes of thought and behavior, based on the primacy of mater- ial self-interest, will hardly benefit humankind, let alone other forms of life on earth. On the contrary, it will impede, if not completely arrest further human development and will severely impoverish the rich diversity of the biosphere. From the standpoint of global intelligence, therefore, “benefit” implies the harmonious, sustainable development of both the material