Hey
everyone! Stephanie and I have been talking to each other about what it means
to be a global citizen and if we consider ourselves to be one. We do not necessarily
have a definite answer for you, but we hope that our experiences on this tour
and in the future will continue to help us shape how we view ourselves in the
world.
We define
global citizen as a person who recognizes that they do not belong to a specific
nation but is rather apart of the global community; they love cultures,
language, and how similar humans are despite all of our differences. Our experiences
on this trip has definitely helped shape how we view the world and is pushing
us on the path towards “citizenship.” The ways in which we have experienced
growth in becoming a global citizen is speaking with locals and observing how
the society behaves. For example, speaking and listening to locals, such as
Fritz from the winery or our tour guide at the Hofburg, we saw the passion and
humour that these people have. At that point they were not stereotypes to us
anymore, but rather they resonated with us as being more alike than they are
different.
While we do
not necessarily label ourselves as a global citizen, we definitely enjoy
exploring and being part of the global community. Has this trip changed how you
feel about bringing a global citizen? If so, was there a specific moment when
you realized this?
-Stephanie & Michael
Our last blog post was also on being a global citizen. Your definition of being a global citizen was spot on, in my opinion. It is close to how I would also define a global citizen.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your question, this trip has changed my view on being a global citizen. This is a topic that I haven’t thought a lot before. However, I am able to draw upon previous experiences and see how this trip has impacted my views. Being a global citizen is something that I want develop within myself.
For me, being a global citizen does involve being part of a wider global community and recognizing similarities between people. I didn’t have any specific moments where I realized a real change in my definition of global citizen. However, I am curious about how this experience has shaped other’s perceptions of a global citizen, especially for those who are experiencing Europe for the first time. It is one thing to learn about other cultures, but it is an amazing, eye opening experience to actually be immersed.
I find it incredibly interesting how each country I have visited (on this trip and others) have influenced my view on human interaction. Each city and country has a different way of interacting. I love observing these differences and comparing each.
With each passing day, experiencing something new, I feel it easier and easier to define myself a global citizen. Although I have a long way to go, the more I travel, the more I can consider see myself as a global citizen.
Xoxo
EJ
Very interesting post, guys!
ReplyDeleteIt's understandable why being a global citizen is not always an easy concept to explicitly identify as the perception of a global citizen may appear quite different when shifting from culture to culture.
The moment that we can identify as having noticed being a global citizen is the transitioning through the countries of this study tour is an noticing the similarities but also acknowledging the differences that each culture had. For example, it was okay to smoke in restaurants in Vienna, whereas Budapest it was not okay, which our team could view as a variation of cultural values such as quality of life vs quality of health.
Ultimately, it has been interesting to be enveloped in these similar yet different cultures and applying some of our global "citizenship" as you put it, and learn to harmonize ourselves into the cultures in which we find ourselves.
Great blog, guys!
David and Ashlee