International Students and their Impact on Globalization - Essay Example

International and their impact on Globalization International and their impact on Globalization “Sociology has been traditionally defined as the study of society. And as the boundaries of society have expanded from local community, through states to global society, sociology has become the study of the global society” (Khondker, 2004) The field of sociology is concerned with studying all aspects of a social life which according to different interpretations can be expanded to include factors like economics, culture, technology and politics among others. Globalization is one of those fields of study which have been long claimed by sociologists as their forte; globalization is the formation of worldwide social relationships and a decrease of geographical constraints on economic, political, social and cultural settings. As such through globalization the world will eventually be transformed into one global society, changing the very nature of territorial human societies and interaction and no other scientific field is better apt to study the effects of the process than sociology. But right now globalization process is ongoing and many different challenges are ahead before the global society can be formed. To better understand the process it is prudent to scrutinize all the factors which are enhancing and enabling it; one of the more prominent one being the youth of today which has not only accepted the process but was grew up with the expectation that they would have to survive in a world where communicating and working with a global audience would be the norm. For many college students, their first experience with the far reaches of globalization is interaction with international students. A rapidly shrinking global world has made it favorable for the different countries to seek out the perspectives and knowledge which exist in other parts of the world and universities try to foster diverse environments to allow their students a greater exposure to differing ideas, cultures and people. Student exchange programs, scholarship programs for minorities or immigrants and government support to expand their graduate programs especially in the STEM fields ensure that the most universities and colleges have a student body which is comprised of some percentage of students coming from different nationalities. This cultural diversity allows local and international students to talk, interact and learn from each other and it can be expected that the consequences of this ‘intellectual movement’ across the globe impact more than just information exchange but also other impact other social aspects, whether directly or indirectly. A personal experience for me which has highlighted the socializing and cultural impact that international students have, has been collaborating with international students from the Middle East and South East Asia. Working on projects together and especially having discussions about the global happenings and attitudes about civil crisis and terrorism has helped me gain a differing perspective on these volatile issues. While means of global communication have improved and a certain group of people all over the world have increasingly used these means to discuss, interpret and analyze the events in a non biased way- a personal conversation with people who have a very different perspective and emotions related to certain global events can change your mindset and bring enlightenment in a much more concrete way than would be possible through digital communication. While I am not saying that I completely started to agree with their point of view or change my original opinion, it was possible for me to accept that there are more facets of information than what I had excess to before. “Education is undergoing constant changes under the effects of globalization. The effects of Globalization on education bring rapid developments in technology and communications are foreseeing changes within school systems across the world as ideas, values and knowledge, changing the roles of students and teachers, and producing a shift in society from industrialization towards an information-based society.” (Chinnammai, 2005). These changes focus on producing students who are comfortable with diverse work environments and are culturally educated enough to hold productive relationships with people from different backgrounds; communicating together in an effective and efficient manner. Teachers are encouraged to take on the role of facilitators who can help enhance the natural curiosity and talents of their students. Even in the most under developed nations the trickle down effects can be seen as there are always a few individuals who manage to cultivate their own opportunities; often moving abroad to continue higher studies. These are the kind of people whom you would naturally meet in a campus environment of a well-known college- people who have been through drastically different lifestyles than their peers but are in a position to communicate their own values, beliefs and experiences in a positive and understandable way. Ideally, this interaction should be studied under the perspective of ‘Glocalization’. A term with Japanese origins it was first attributed to manufacturing processes; products should be suited to local tastes and interests but their approach and reach should be global in nature. (Khondker, 2004). Sociologists have now applied this term to study the micro level impact of globalization- how far does the integration of technology, information and communication on a global level impact smaller localities and groups? A college setting can be an interesting venue to research this sociology phenomenon. Even as intellectual discussions and paradigm shifts happen when youth from different cultures are allowed to spend time together, there is also assimilation of local and international culture on a much smaller level which can be seen when students take part in each other’s festivals, enjoy different cuisines and indulge in new forms of entertainment. International students’ maybe more affected by the new culture they have to live in, but similarly they can have a large amount of impact on the local culture as well. Some countries are utilizing the strategy of global education in the very hope that an induction of foreign intelligence will bring better ideas and changes in their societies. Along with economic and information technology factors, this form of globalization will also change the overall culture and perceptions of a locality. Similarly an interesting trend which has been under study recently, is the reasons which make one location more attractive for international students to study at than others. While government support, convenience of study, and quality of study programs are all major factors many international students do chose their location with respect to the kind of culture and situation they will get to experience outside the campus life. In a study by Ben-Tsur, he discusses that religious or cultural affiliation or sympathies will actually motivate students to study in a conflict area out of a desire to learn more about the situation and lives of that society (2009). This is reflective of a youth which wants to actively participate in the globalization process, immersing themselves into other cultures and preparing for a global society with all of its problems and disturbances. Unfortunately, the positive benefits of the globalized education system largely depend on how participating both the local and international groups are. A prejudiced or unfair teacher can very quickly diminish the positive participation of international students as their view points may differ from traditionally accepted ideas. There is also some indication that the local students are not always enthusiastic to welcome international students and as much as it is hoped that the interaction between a student body will happen naturally, often the observation is that student groups are formed based on shared ethnicity or social values and these self contained groups do not foster any cultural diversity or merging of ideas. “Studies of intercultural interactions have shown that the amount of spontaneous contact between international and domestic students is low although positive outcomes of this contact have been documented. There is considerable discussion in international education about the benefits presumed to arise as a natural consequence of the increasing presence of international students; however, this is founded more on opinion than on empirical evidence” (Ward, 2001). There can be no conclusive statements given about the benefits or problems created by increased student mobility across the globe until statistical research is carried out with regard to this topic under sociology. The literature which exists, provides statistics of discrimination which was faced by international students in earlier years along with problems of stereotyping and social adjustment, but little research has been done on the effects (positive or negative) faced by the local students (Ward, 2001). My personal experience would indicate that with 21st century the expectations and attitude with regards to cultural diversity in the education sector have changed for the better and people are more accepting of international students and the respective ‘Glocalization’ which takes place. It would be very interesting to see what kind of insights can be gathered about the trends through proper empirical research and studies. References Khondker, H. H., (2004). Glocalization as Globalization: Evolution of a Sociological Concept. Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology, Vol. 1. No. 2. July, 2004. Chinnammai, S. (2005). Effects of globalization on education and culture. ICDE International Conference, November 19-23, 2005, New Delhi. Sandhu, A. (2006). Political Sociology in Light of Globalization: New Perspectives and Future Directions. Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, Vol. 5, No.1&2, Spring & Summer 2006. Ben‐Tsur, D. (2009).The impact of conflict on international student mobility: a case study of international students studying in Israel. International Studies in Sociology of Education Volume 19, Issue 2, 2009. Ward, C. (2001). The impact of international students on domestic students and host institutions. Produced for Export Education Policy Project of the New Zealand Ministry of Education. Available at: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/international/the_impact_of_internation al_students_on_domestic_students_and_host_institutions Ravelli, B. & Webber, M. (2010). Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective.  First Edition | Pearsons.  Martel, L. (2010). The Sociology of Globalization. Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Read More