Algoritmos paralelos para determinar los itemsets frecuentes

Global identity was an unfamiliar concept to the teachers interviewed. Taking this into consideration, I asked them to reflect on the issue of globalisation and its impact on individuals’ lives as a means of empowerment.

I feel that globalisation has a great impact on my own life. I can access information about people living in different parts of the world. I can travel abroad and buy foreign goods.

(Yan, female, teaching Comprehensive Practice)

The teachers expressed awareness of the era of globalisation and its impact on their own lives. From their perspectives, the biggest change that they had experienced was the sharing of information, lifestyles and experiences. They can travel abroad and buy products not previously available in China. This led me to wonder whether the life changes they were describing were caused by

globalisation or internationalisation. Did the teachers understand the two concepts and the differences between them?

I do not know whether I understand it correctly. In the context of globalisation, the competition between countries is reflected more in political and cultural ways. The global resources are limited and can only be shared by countries with strong Zonghe guoli [综合国力, comprehensive national power] … Neither permanent friends nor enemies exist in international relations.

(Yongshan, female, deputy head teacher)

In the context of globalisation, the discussion of comprehensive national power is prevalent. China should try its best to develop itself, otherwise it will not be involved in equal dialogues with other countries.

(Siyue, female, teaching Music)

It is evident that most teachers constructed their understandings of globalisation by relying on the nation-state framework. They were more concerned about the conflicts and confrontations between countries, while making limited reference to global communication and cooperation. From the teachers’ perspectives, only countries with strong comprehensive national power can dominate the conversation, with weaker countries being silenced. To a certain extent, this reflects the influence that the century of humiliation has exerted on Chinese people. The teachers expressed anxiety about being invaded by outsiders, and therefore they placed importance on the Chinese nation being strong, echoing the CPC’s narrative of the Chinese Dream (Xi, 2013).

China has become a vital part of the world. Although we lagged behind other countries for a long period of time, we are currently ahead of the rest of the world in several aspects… I believe China will stand at the top of the world in the near future.

(Chuying, female, teaching Chinese)

The role and status of China on the global stage were of concern to the teachers. From their perspectives, China has experienced a long period of transformation from being a backward society to a world leader. Their senses of belonging to the

Chinese nation were strengthened accordingly. In other words, the teachers’ awareness of globalisation contributed to their construction of Chinese identity.

6.1.2.2 An unfamiliar concept

None of the teachers identified themselves as global citizens. They were uncertain about the meanings of ‘global citizen’ and ‘global identity’. They were also reluctant to express a sense of belonging to the world.

I have been to some countries and met some local people there who were very friendly. However, for people in my generation, the concept of a global citizen is still unfamiliar.

(Chenyi, male, teaching Art)

First, the teachers perceived the global citizen as a newly developed concept that is inextricably linked to the context of globalisation. Most of the teachers who participated in the interviews were born in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The issue of globalisation was not discussed when they were children or young adults. Therefore, they commonly had difficulties understanding the concept of the global citizen.

I rarely have an opportunity to express my opinions on global affairs. I spend most of my time in classroom.

(Miao, female, teaching English)

Second, global citizenship, as perceived by the teachers, is a concept that is applicable in particular situations and environments, but schools and classrooms were not perceived to be among these environments because they are not inextricably linked to the world. The teachers found it difficult to get access to the world within schools and classrooms. In undertaking teaching tasks, the teachers expressed the opinion that they rarely had sufficient time and space to express opinions on global issues, and accordingly identified difficulties in building senses of connections with the world.

Individuals cannot abandon their national identities. In a broad sense, the global community is an unrealistic concept. All people express

opinions based on their national needs… The United Nations is comprised of countries competing for their own interests. Therefore, the so-called global village and a community with a shared future for mankind is a utopia.

(Shilin, male, teaching English)

Considerable attention was paid to the role of nation-state in the context of globalisation. As the teachers argued, the United Nations and other organisations advocating global unity and cooperation could not exist outside of the nation-state framework. In addition, the incompatibility between national identity and global identity was raised. There was a tendency among the teachers to argue that global identity and national identity are mutually exclusive, indicating that the acquisition of one might threaten the other. The teachers commonly had a strong sense of Chinese identity, therefore thought it was difficult or impossible for them to construct a global identity.

6.1.2.3 Prerequisites for being global citizens

The teachers believed that individuals do not naturally develop a sense of global identity, but that it is developed as long as a series of prerequisites are met.

First and foremost, one should develop an understanding of the world. For example, the global scarcity of resources and diverse cultures around the world should be something people are aware of… People should know about differences, otherwise they are unable to respect and cope with differences.

(An, female, teaching Morality and the Rule of Law)

First, global citizens were understood by the teachers as individuals with adequate knowledge and understanding of the globalised world. Global citizens were expected to be aware of the common problems that the world was facing, and the characteristics of other countries in terms of history, culture, beliefs and languages.

As a member of the world, people ought to know how it works. For example, what is the relationship between China and the United States? What is the relationship between China and Japan? Only by being

equipped with knowledge in this respect can individuals become global citizens.

(Linxi, female, teaching Chinese)

Second, the teachers pointed out that global citizens should be aware of international relations, which were identified as the relationships between China and other countries, especially Japan and the USA. This, to a certain extent, demonstrates that the awareness of the Chinese nation constitutes an important aspect in constructing global identity.

I have certain awareness of the world. I am interested in multi-culturalism. However, I lack the international experience and the ability to participate in international life, the foreign language skills for instance.

(Mei, female, teaching Chinese)

Foreign language skills and international experience were frequently discussed as well. Most of the teachers were neither equipped with foreign language skills nor rich international experience, and therefore were unable to build links with the world and identify themselves as global citizens.

I think a global citizen probably is not a person who has rich knowledge of other countries and the world, but who knows how to care about oneself and others… People who can get along well with different groups of people could be regarded as global citizens.

(Yu, female, teaching Chinese)

The opinion expressed above by Yu was unique among the teachers. In her eyes, being a global citizen is not about speaking foreign languages or having rich international experience, but being able to live in harmony with people regardless of their backgrounds. Her uncertainty about her argument was apparent in the interviews, as she repeated that she was unfamiliar with the concept. My personal point of view was not expressed during the interview. However, after the interview had finished, I provided encouraging words to invoke her confidence in teaching and thinking as a way of empowerment.

6.1.3 National identity education in the school