De-centering and Re-visioning Global Citizenship Education Abroad Programs

Abstract

This paper explores the neocolonial implications of a global citizenship education program that annually sends a group of Canadian university students to volunteer in Thailand. Postcolonial theory is utilized to deconstruct hegemonic notions of globalization, citizenship and global citizenship and explore the ways in which a group of university students challenges and perpetuates imperialist discourses and practices. While the scope of this study is limited to six interviews, the post-colonial theoretical framework provides insight into the ways that such educational programs ought to be modified in order to curtail their colonial trends. In light of these findings, I propose a shift in our 'Western' understanding and enactment of global citizenship and global citizenship educational programs towards inclusion of multiple epistemologies, an ethical concern for social justice and fostering equitable relationships, mutual exchange and reciprocity.