Enhancing Global Understanding: A Call for Cooperation.

Overview & Synopsis

Social studies education will improve if educators favoring global education and law-related education replace counterproductive competition with mutual respect and cooperation. As two of the many curricular approaches clamoring for a just share of elementary and secondary school social studies programs, global education and law-related education have much in common. For example, they both are supported by interest groups composed of educators and content experts; they both became frequent course offerings in the wake of the "new" social studies; and they both stress reflective inquiry. Educators will improve social studies education if they use goals, competencies, and approaches common to global education and law-related education as a basis for cooperation in developing curriculum. Specific competencies relevant to both approaches include perceiving individual involvement in a global society, making decisions, making judgments, and exercising influence. A framework centered on concepts such as power, justice, liberty, property, equality, authority, freedom, and responsibility would be equally relevant to law-related education and global education. (DB)