Education in Cosmopolitan Society: Curriculum Analysis

This article analyzes the concept of cosmopolitan education in the context of the book 'I am Australian too' by Mem Fox. It suggests ways to impart cosmopolitan learning to students and emphasizes the need to familiarize children with the concept of multiculturalism from an early age.

Running head: EDUCATION IN COSMOPOLITAN SOCIETY
EDUCATION IN COSMOPOLITAN SOCIETY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1EDUCATION IN COSMOPOLITAN SOCIETY
Curriculum Analysis: Education in Cosmopolitan Society
Analysis of the document and evaluation in the context of cosmopolitan educational
concepts proposed by Rizvi
The book I am Australian too by Mem Fox evaluates the concept of a multicultural
Australian society that has safeguarded the security of people from diverse cultures. The book is
essentially a series of rhymed verses describing the cultural backgrounds of various people who
identify themselves as Australians. The book touches upon the historical reasons for the various
migrations that resulted in people coming to Australia. It concerns itself with the concepts that
are understood through the work of Rizvi & Lingard (2006) that focus on cosmopolitan
education. I am Australian too focuses on supporting pedagogies for the understanding of the
global cultural and economic exchanges. It provides key insights into why people had to leave
their home countries for various economic and social reasons (Fox & Ghosh, 2017). The work
also helps the readers to develop critical imaginations concerning the global perspectives. More,
importantly towards the end of the book reflexive thinking is also encouraged. Like Rizvi the
book by Mem Fox keeps things simple to some extent and deals mainly with creating knowledge
about how global situations seldom create economic and cultural exchange. It can be said to be a
small depiction of the topic that form the core ideas of the work of Rizvi (Rizvi & Lingard,
2006). The books essentially creates a significant platform for young Australian children to
understand the global issues that lead to the formation of a multicultural society through cultural
or economic exchange (Fox & Ghosh, 2017). It effectively explains the movement of people
from one part of the world to the other and in line with the ideas of Rizvi’s cosmopolitan
learning concepts even focuses on issues such as refugee crisis and economic factors that cause
migration.

2EDUCATION IN COSMOPOLITAN SOCIETY
Suggestion for cosmopolitan learning
The concept of cosmopolitan learning is based on the development of curriculums
through which the student can develop essential fundamental concepts about the various global
cultures (Roxas et al., 2015). Learning should be focused on developing essential concepts about
globalization and economic and cultural exchanges that are subsequent. Moreover, the formation
of political knowledge is emphasized. It is focused towards the students imagining the greater
world (Delanty, 2006). However, development of strategic attitudes are not focused as a learning
outcome. The students are wanted to develop reflexive thinking processes towards
cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitan learning cannot be restricted to only urban areas that tend to be
more cosmopolitan in nature. It needs to be systematically imparted even among rural youth and
even indigenous communities as these sections of the society also tend to have cosmopolitan
perspectives (Reid, 2015). The most important emphasis of cosmopolitan learning should be to
familiarize children about the concept of cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism from the very
beginning. This will help them to develop essential conceptions about an integrated society
which will only be further developed as they grow older. Concepts like shared interests between
people of various cultures should be upheld through the curriculum. It becomes much important
that the global economic and social factors that often lead people to migrate to safer countries are
clearly discussed among students (Rizvi, 2009).

3EDUCATION IN COSMOPOLITAN SOCIETY
References
Delanty, G. (2006). The cosmopolitan imagination: critical cosmopolitanism and social
theory. The British journal of sociology, 57(1), 25-47.
Fox, M., & Ghosh, R. (2017). I'm Australian too.
Reid, C. (2015). Cosmopolitanism and rural education: A conversation. International Journal of
Inclusive Education, 19(7), 721-732.
Rizvi, F. (2009). Towards cosmopolitan learning. Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of
education, 30(3), 253-268.
Rizvi, F., & Lingard, B. (2006). Edward Said and the cultural politics of education. Discourse:
Studies in the cultural politics of education, 27(3), 293-308.
Roxas, K., Cho, J., Rios, F., Jaime, A., & Becker, K. (2015). Critical cosmopolitan multicultural
education (CCME). Multicultural Education Review, 7(4), 230-248.