How the Process of Globalisation Affects Educational Programs, Patterns, and Trends - Case Study Example

The challenge of tertiary institutions as agents of western ideology: A case study of the University of Melbourne Introduction The purpose of this case study is to analyse an underlying problem that many tertiary institutions in Australia and in other parts of the western world could be facing – the accusation that they are agents of western ideologies. The University of Melbourne was chosen as a case study because it is ranked as the second most prestigious university in the country. Consequently, its characteristics reflect the patterns in other institutions of the country. On top of that, the latter institution admits a very high number of international students annually. Statistics from 2008 indicate that there were over eleven thousand overseas students admitted into this institution. Such a large number provides an adequate sample space for analysing the issues mentioned above. The following is a summary of countries of origin for this institutions’ international students China-2, 600 Malaysia - 1835 Singapore - 1230 Indonesia - 835 USA -725 (Univeristy of Melbourne, 2009) As it can be seen, the highest proportions of students come from the Asian continent. This indicates that there are distinct cultural differences between them. Australia is now considered an educational hub in the international arena and one of the institutions that epitomise this concept is the University of Melbourne. This university has come to rely on enrolment of international students owing to the fact that they provide a substantial source of revenue for operation of the latter institution. In fact, the university enrolled approximately eleven thousand foreign students for its courses as of the year 2005. The latter individuals are particularly important to this institution because government support for such projects has substantially reduced over the past years. This enrolment of international students in the University of Melbourne has repercussions for the international students themselves, their countries, the institution as well as the country in general. (Matthews, 2002) There are several experiences that international students go through as soon as they enter into this institution and eventually these experiences can be further translated into social and economic impacts on the students and the countries under consideration. A series of questions therefore arise in this regard. One wonders whether the education that individuals receive from the University of Melbourne can be translated into a source of social and economic progress within their respective countries or whether this education merely leads to greater perpetuation of poverty and inequality. Critics claim that what the University of Melbourne (or any other international Australian educational institution) is doing is creating personal dissatisfaction amongst such students and a failure to believe in their own systems as adults. On top of that, others are claiming that provision of education to international students merely pulls resourceful individuals from their countries of origin into Australia or other western nations. Perhaps the most worrying trend is the fact that education from institutions such as the University of Melbourne could be pacifying these international students such that they could support trade from Australia when they go back to their home countries. What this means is that the system may further perpetuate domination of such countries by western based nations such as Australia. This further implies that without intending it, the University of Melbourne may be perpetuating western hegemony. The latter term refers to continual dominance of an elitist class through consent from the dominated class. This principle is derived from the Marxist school of thought and it is therefore informative to find out whether the latter principle actually holds true in the tertiary education setting. (Matthews, 2002) Some opponents have also questioned the very notion of international students studying in Australian universities with some of them claiming that this elevates the status of Australian education in the world but continually impedes the development of education in their countries of origin. Holders of this point of view add that the University of Melbourne and others may be providing short term solutions to specific individuals but they do no offer long term answers to the problems in other nations. In fact, the collective progress of these countries is quite marginal as a direct result of such admissions. Such concerns need to be addressed with regard to the case study. (Matthews, 2002) Even when one analyses the needs and interests of particular international students, it is still possible to see how the ideas and concepts of these individuals are ignored and replaced by Australian or western notions of education. For the process of education to be all that it is intended to be it needs to facilitate a learning experience from the country offering this service and the recipient country as well. However, some claims have been made that this exchange has not been a very fair one as the scales seems to be tilted in favour of Australia. Ideally speaking international education should be an enriching experience. It should surpass mere economic gains for the host country; instead its needs should be a platform for unique cultural understanding. On top of that, Australian students ought to gain from these aspects and spread these advantages to the rest of their society. International students facilitate cultural education and can also create valuable relationships between Australia and international students that may assist them in the future. There is a need to examine whether the latter objectives are being achieved or not. Most analyses on international students within Australian universities have focused on how more students could enter such institutions. Very little effort has been dedicated to the issues that international students may be going through or what their respective countries require as well. The element of reciprocity within the tertiary education sector has become a very large problem. The Marxist school of thought can offer a deeper analysis into the way of operation of these institutions. Reciprocity is lacking because Australian institutions perceive themselves as performing charitable work by according overseas students education from their institutions. In other words, there may be a superiority complex or dominant power play that may be affecting international students in such a tertiary institution. Perhaps a more disturbing issue is the fact that internationalisation in tertiary institutions has not translated into the positive benefits of globalisation. Globalisation brings with it a series of complexities that are then reflected on local settings. In fact this is why education and schools have become a major platform for studying this phenomenon of globalisation. One can apply social scientific theories to the study and analysis of international education especially with regard to the case study. But before one can carry an in depth analysis of how the University of Melbourne is an institution for the spread of western ideology, it may be insightful to understand globalisation and globalisation theory first. Globalisation can be understood as the process by which the world increasingly merges into one entity through heightened consciousness. More often than not, this phenomenon can lead to the reduction of barriers to trade and it may also cause job creation as well as reduce the price of goods in various countries of the world. While these effects may be categorised as very progressive, one cannot ignore some of the complications that globalisation has brought with it. First of all, it is common to find that the concept causes a shift from local to multinational industries thus creating a situation where poor countries act as sources of raw material or cheap labour but all the profits are siphoned back to their countries of origin. In the end, poor countries are left out of the development plan because their local industries are usually outcompeted by large multinationals (normally from the west) thus causing unemployment levels to shoot up. This is one of the reasons why the presence of large multinationals has caused several demonstrations in a number of developing or underdeveloped nations. Socioeconomic equalities are also easily brought out through globalisation because it reveals which aspects of policy that people have little control over. It is therefore essential to find out whether educational institutions like Melbourne University contribute towards some of these social, economic and political inequalities. (Mallozi and Malloy, 2007) It should be noted that the use of the term globalisation has become common place only in recent decades. However, the process was not new. In the past, interconnectedness of nations of the world was explained through modernisation theories like gesellschaft. The problem with this approach was that it mostly focused on simplistic understanding of changes in societies with emphasis given to western nations as reference points. This meant that the issue of interconnectedness among these nations was sidelined thus necessitating the need for an all encompassing theory. Other theories that began explaining the relationship between nations and these theories led to the growth of the term globalisation. These theories largely asserted how world nations were trapped in one system where they were trying to advance their economic and social positions through a series of approaches. Globalisation largely focuses on the political and economic interactions between different nation states but most importantly the awareness of these nations that they belong to a global system. This awareness or consciousness can be transmitted through movements of people, through media platforms as well as through education. The role of schools has therefore been transformed as they are important agents of this phenomenon of globalisation. The problem arises when the schools seems to propagate advancement of western based states hence their ideologies. It is therefore insightful to see how these issues are brought out by tertiary institutions such as the University of Melbourne. Multiculturalism has received a lot of attention in the analysis of education and the phenomenon of globalisation. A reputable institution must be one that acknowledges the value of diversity rather than perpetuating a dominant idea or culture. This means that all the elements of culture must be embraced and understood. One particular element that can demonstrate a commitment to multiculturalism is language. International students have different language needs especially because most of them may be speaking English as a second language. In this regard, if the university setting is such that it propagates a dominant language while ignoring the needs of other groups, then it is propagating western ideology or further still, it may be perpetuating institutional racism. (Mallozi and Malloy, 2007) It should be noted that diversity in educational institutions needs not be restricted to the way some people interact with each other but should also be shown in the academic content that the institutions under consideration adheres to. For instance, the curriculum content needs to indicate a respect for other cultures. An analysis of the curriculum in Melbourne University will be done and discussion will be made on whether in this propagates western hegemony by disregarding cultural contributions from other cultures or whether this has been properly balanced to reflect two-way contributions from both local and foreign parties. Findings and discussions International students in Melbourne University come from well to do families in their countries owing to the kind of fees that they are required to pay. In this regard, the transformative elements of education offered to such individuals are difficult to be realised because most of them may simply be concerned with their respective needs. Such persons are likely to be less loyal to their countries of origin and may not care much about their responsibilities as social agents of change. Instead, the University of Melbourne could be breeding an elite group that forms part of the hegemonic global structure. These individuals are the same irrespective of their countries of origin because their relationship to capital is more or less the same and their lifestyles are also synonymous. It can therefore be incredibly difficult for these groups to be deeply concerned about the needs of the common man in their countries of origin. While the latter assertions may cause a lot of objection from administrators in this institution, it is essential to go beyond the effects of ideologies and instead dwell on the problems that could be impeding these institutions from fully benefitting from its international student enrolment program. Indeed some of the most transformative questions have also been the thorniest ones because they are bound to question the status quo. Nonetheless, the picture is not completely negative in this regard; there is a need to acknowledge the positive steps that this institution has taken towards boosting their international experience. For instance, the university now boasts of a cultural development policy dedicated towards making the most of their diversity needs. This is definitely a step in the right direction but there may still be other milestones that could be achieved in the future to boost the needs and interests of their international students. (Rizvi & Walsh, 1998) The current approach in the institution is very restrictive owing to the fact that it largely thinks of diversity as an aspect relevant to the social relations of students but not to their learning experiences or to their curriculum progress. In order to demonstrate a commitment towards cultural progression, diversity ought to be a part of the actual learning curriculum; the University is yet to get to such a level. Structural adjustment policies have formed a continual point of analysis in discussions of globalisation and its effects as a number of experts assert that these policies tend to create liberalised economic environments that largely shift economies to become more export centred. Educational institutions like Melbourne University tend to support such policies. In the end, such an institution ends up replicating social inequalities in different parts of the world. Also, this institution like many others in the international arena has participated in multinational comparisons of school effectiveness. In the end, this has a created a situation where tertiary institutions’ failures have been blamed on local culture. Experts assert that this may be a new form of racism that lays blanket blames to underdeveloped nations without necessarily understanding the specific issues that could have led to failure. The University of Melbourne has propagated western notions to international students of the world through its fee based program. This is because the institution only admits a very small portion of foreign students based on a scholarship program. The majority of these students must pay their way throughout campus. Since some of these students come from impoverished nations, then it is likely that only those with sound financial backing can get through such a system and this greatly leads to expansion of the gap between the rich and the poor in underdeveloped countries. The capitalist system which dominates most western cultures is therefore becoming a harsh reality in developing nations as well. This eventually hurts democracy in those nations because such individuals may not be engaged in greater civic participation. In order to understand the power of an institution such as Melbourne University in this phenomenon of globalisation, one must first understand some of the reasons that could be causing non western students to accept western notions so easily. Studies carried out in the mid twentieth century concerning missionary education and colonialism found out that smaller cultures tended to accept ideologies and concepts propelled by dominant cultures because they were often mystified by it. Besides that, scholars assert that persons on the periphery tended to accept different ideologies as they may not know the long term implications of this acceptance. In the end, such groups tend to be subordinated by dominant ideologies and may even loose their sense of self. (Geisenger, 1999) It should be noted that the spread of dominant ideology throughout the world has brought about some contradictory explanations. Some scholars assert that this has brought about resistance from the countries subordinated while others have claimed that it has led to passive acceptance. After a through analysis, it has been found that individuals from remote regions tend to accept this domination while those ones from urbanised areas are the ones who report the greatest resistance. This is because in rural areas, people tend to believe the myths brought out by proponents of western based education as they are far removed from its implications. On the other hand, those individuals who come from urbanised areas tend to resists these notions because they are exposed to the realities of mainstream western ideologies. They realise that these concepts may not be the ultimate solution to their problems. In fact, their great exposure to a series of alternatives for their ways of life make them more inclined to resist dominant cultures even more. Such individuals are likely to be cynical about it. This is because the problems with these dominant cultures are easily seen and they include: a lack of family cohesion, increased drug and alcohol use and greater crime levels. When one relates the latter assertions to the case study, it can therefore be possible to see why the spread of western ideology may have different repercussions. International students from this university represent a vast number of communities and some of them may be more exposed to other cultures while others may not. What this implies is that their reactions may differ. The overriding factor remains that since they are attending a western based school, then this institution is serving as a centre for sanitising their reality. Some students may choose to accept those notions while others may resist it. Whatever the results may be, this does not change the fact that there is still some form of domination enacted by the latter institution. An analysis of the second language challenges facing this university further propels the notion of western hegemony. An institution that is serious about multiculturalism ought to renew its cultural identity from time to time because different elements keep changing with time. The University of Melbourne is not as keen on these renewals as it should be. Besides that, this university needs to look into some of the issues surrounding accessibility of its educational programs. The latter institution has been very proactive in this arena as they have marketed their educational programs to the entire world. Nonetheless, an overrepresentation of members from the Asian continent could still indicate that the University’s level of multiculturalism could still be improved. (Geisenger, 1999) Educational outcomes for international students need to reflect how the University has embraced diversity as well. The institution’s academic goals need to cover all members of its institutions. Statistics have shown that this gap is yet to be bridged as second language needs of students of Asian descent are yet to be fully encompassed. Because these second language challenges have not been fully addressed, then this could be reason why there is a big difference between performance levels of mainstream students and their foreign counterparts. In other words, the latter institution has not yet changed its teaching materials and methods to reflect the different cultures within its vicinity. Another area that indicates western hegemony is the role of the media and its interconnectedness with the latter institution. Studies have shown that the media plays an important role in influencing concepts about cultural understanding and the need for a symbiotic relationship. There is an inclination to the Australian understanding of culture in the media and this has influenced members of tertiary institutions like the University of Melbourne. One way in which this can be seen is through the imperialist nature that academic skills and language are dealt with in this university, most teachers normally assume that it is the categorical imperative of the foreign student to know values and practices of Australia and to familiarise himself / herself with the ways of the institutions. The major challenge with such an approach is that it is not always true that such students will be able to comprehend the host country’s ways of doing things. In fact, the theory of culture shock is still very real within this university. The latter theory presupposes that students who may not cope with their education system are largely to blame for it and they are expected to correct that problem on their own. (Ninnes, Aitchison & Kalos, 1999) Recommendations The international arena has the potential to transform specific nation states. In fact most underdeveloped nations have been transformed into developing or developed nations as a result of some of the ideas and perceptions of members of its Diaspora. The University of Melbourne needs to realise that it is in a unique position to be part of such a positive influence upon overseas nations participating in their education system. However, in order to achieve this, then the University of Melbourne needs to revise its methods of facilitating information exchanges. Overseas students have the potential to challenge status quo in their native countries if they gain positive experiences from an international institution. In order for this to be achieved then there should be less exclusion witnessed within this University. It is not always true that international students from the latter school are sidelined; however, there is still a need to integrate them fully into the Melbourne University fraternity. Consequently, such students will have a very positive multicultural experience that will cause them to want to change the political and social realms of their countries of origin. It would be very forward looking for these institutions if they engaged in greater research designed to find out how the curriculum experience of international students can be made deeper. Aside from that, it would also be very insightful for the University of Melbourne to make all their educational programs more diverse or reflective of the international status that the institution accords itself. By doing this, then the latter university will have demonstrated the fact that it is committed to equity between all its students and its administrative personnel. This kind of initiative can then be taken to other sectors of the economy. There are several ways in which these changes can be incorporated and they include: Time allocation Assessment practices Administrative practices Curriculum literature (Rizvi & Walsh, 1998) All the latter sectors can be adjusted such that they do not sideline ideas and concepts held by international students. The University of Melbourne has not set out to propel dominant western notions; however, because of overlooking certain differences between students, then the institution is making the situation worse. Instead of ignoring these differences, Melbourne University needs to understand the process of construction of self identity and then think of ways of in which this construction process can be included in the curriculum. If certain ways of communicating or expression within the learning experience are favoured over others, then chances are that international students who resist these changes may be labelled as failures. This kind of rigidity has no place in an institution of such repute. Since it has already been established that foreign students tend to be alienated socially or culturally, then Melbourne University needs to adopt a multi-thronged approach to their education system so that the differences between cultures can be continuously studied and understood. After exploring these aspects, then common elements can be found and capitalised. The University of Melbourne ought to realise that there is indeed a possibility of possessing hybrid identities. In other words, the latter institution can become a frontier for actions that are necessitated towards carrying out some of the needs and assessments related to the underlying nee. Difference can be incorporated into structural aspects of the curriculum by working with the overall changes brought into the way learning and teaching is carried out. It may also be crucial to look into the fact that this university only tolerates diversity to the degree that it does not challenge the status quo. (Rizvi & Walsh, 1998) One way in which the University o f Melbourne can deal with the culture shock issues is by making their lecture rooms more inclusive. Teachers still have a mentality that their role is to engage in pure teaching rather than enrich the learning process. Teachers here need to set aside time to find out what could possibly make their respective students less nervous prior to engaging in an assignment or a tutorial. They also need to find out why international students tend to be sidelined during lecture time. In the teaching process, there may be some underlying skills and practices that are needed from students in order to understand certain material. Consequently, teachers need to find out what these assumptions are and what they can do to bridge the gap. Failure to encompass these assumptions could be propelling a cultural superiority complex that perpetuates western hegemony. University of Melbourne lecturers can deviate from the notion of cultural domination by first helping international students even outside routine class activities. On top of that, they could analyse some of the skills that international students possess and how these can be used to build upon the classroom experiences. Besides that, communication needs to be made inclusive. The following areas need to be made a priority in the latter institution: -Empathy -Humility -Ambiguity tolerance -Intercultural aspects The case study can be well on their way to boosting these issues by making sure that they go through the following steps. First of all, all university staff, administrators and students need to reprogram their mode of thinking about their culture. For instance, before one can make any communication, there are always certain expectations or interpretations that individuals possess. Now all these members need to analyse the latter step such that they do not overlook any issue that could be making the institution culturally dominating. On top of the latter issue, there is a need to deduce certain signs and signals from one’s students. Melbourne University has a wide number of Asian students who are known to possess very dissimilar modes of communication and understanding. An action that may be well intended by an Australian teacher could be taken very badly by the Asian counterparts. For instance, Chinese students have a high respect for their seniors; it is therefore prudent for these individuals to wait until their seniors finish speaking before questioning them because in their culture, it is rude to interrupt one’s teachers. On the other hand, an Australian teacher may prefer the opposite approach because some of their questions may be quite helpful to other students and choosing to ask such questions in private could be preventing other classmates from benefitting. It may sometimes be necessary to think of ways in which these two parties can compromise on the latter issue. Despite some obvious differences between various cultures, it is also important for the University of Melbourne teachers to refrain from being victims of culture stereotypes. Not all Asian students are worried about “loosing face” or not all American students prefer doing group based assignments. Teachers in this institution need to realise that they are dealing with individuals and that all have their own preferences. Overemphasis on national culture differences can drive some students to the periphery instead of helping them cope with their academic challenges. This is because they may feel as though they are being judged without being fully understood. This institution needs also to assist its international students to understand their way of thinking so that communication can be two - way between these two parties. It is essential for these teachers to tell their students exactly what they expect from them and vice versa. By doing this, then ambiguities and uncertainties will be eliminating some of the problems revolving around their needs based approaches. On top of the latter, it may also be crucial for teachers to be very clear in terms of their expectations. This usually implies that during those times when lecturers are dealing with difficult topics, then there is a need to make students more aware of what they require from them. (Carroll & Ryan, 2005) Including students’ varying cultures can also be an important way of making their cultures greatly valued in society. One way in which this can be done is through the use of student sessions. Contributions of all the students need to be taken carefully into consideration. They need to know what all their roles need to be such that they can feel valuable within such a setting. Generally speaking, the latter university can prevent cultural domination through making reading and language processes easier. For instance, they could explain to students issues about critical evaluation and include the inappropriateness of any cultural issues. Some assignment questions may be difficult to understand and they need to be clarified. On top of that, the university needs to understand that different cultures have different approaches to writing their solutions. Once gain, the goal by these teachers should not be correction but it should be such that there are effective ways of solving their underlying principles. Conclusion The University of Melbourne is required to embrace multiculturalism within its institutional settings and has demonstrated this by offering a few orientation programs and assistances. Nonetheless, this institution is still propagating dominant culture by its learning experiences as well the interaction between its students. In other words, there is a lack of two way exchange between Australian members and international students. By assuming that the Australian way is the reference point, then the latter institution is propagating cultural superiority or western ideology. It can deal with this problem by continually analysing its cultural standings and looking for ways of renewing it. On top that, their curriculum and teaching methods need to be made feasible to foreign students so that they may not be sidelined out of the learning process. Finally, the university needs to transform its assumptions during communication or interactions because every thought or action may reflect differently upon members of another culture or nation. By doing this, then the institutions will eliminate culture superiority and will become an agent of positive globalisation. References Carroll, J. & Ryan, J. (2005). Teaching international students. New York: Routledge Ninnes, P., Aitchison, C. & Kalos, S. (1999). Challenges to stereotypes of international students’ prior educational experience. Journal of higher development and higher education, 18 (3): 3 Mallozi, C. & Malloy, J. (2007). Second language issues. Reading research quarterly, 42 (4): 590-599 Rizvi, F. & Walsh, L. (1998). Difference, globalisation and the internationalisation of curriculum. Australian Universities’ Review, 2: 7 Matthews, J. (2002). International Education and internationalisation and not the same as globalisation. International Education Journal 6 (369): 1-23 Geisenger, A. (1999). Spreading the seed of western ideology of nature. Boston environmental Affairs Review Univeristy of Melbourne (2009). Annual Report. Retrieved 12 Oct 2009 http://www.unimelb.edu.au/publications/docs/UNIM_AR_Final_2.pdf Read More