Global Citizenship vs. National Identity: A Critical Analysis

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Essay
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9
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Introduction
In the contemporary scenario with the internationalization citizens of the world are seen to be as
individualistic high flyers that want a borderless world so that they move beyond a perception of
borders and national differences. However, the global citizens are the one who is responsive and
understands the wider world and fits their place in it that support them in collaborating with
others and make the global economy more equal and sustainable (Green, 2016). Global
citizenship assists young people to build their own thoughts regarding world events. In regard to
this, the present essay will focus on understanding the concept of global citizenship with the
national identity and determine global residency substitute’s national identity or not.
Main Body
What is global citizenship?
Global citizens are also termed as cosmopolitans that acquire social identities by moving to the
new countries and nations and adopt their values and beliefs with delivering services that benefit
the global economy. They are not constant to the fixed place they migrate to different places for
the sake of jobs or study. It has been further assessed that global citizenship is companionable
with equally selfish and altruistic values (Liu, 2012). Despite the fact that some of the global
citizens are inspired by universal ethical concerns such as defending the environment and the
well-being of human beings. Apart from this, others are merely obsessed with the egoistic
motives that can be used to shield the nation.
What is the national identity?
The national identity is defined as a sense of belongingness to the particular nation and socially
shares the knowledge and inherent the culture, ethics, and background so that they may get
committed towards their nation. In addition to this, states base their assertion to statehood on
conventions of the shared cultural heritage that in turn ensures assumptions of shared ethnicity
(Ariely, 2012). However, the prominence of national distinctiveness in the media content is
heartened by the information that they are creating news for the national audience with the share
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national membership. Hence, national identity enhances the level of individual commitment
towards nationality.
The history of the derivation of National identity demonstrates the significance of political
events in the construction or emergence of the present nation-states. But that government itself
has been imitative of the interplay of miscellaneous factors. However, the national identity as
such appears to be a combination of factors that mainly comprises of linguistic identities,
regional loyalties, culture as well as religion (Ho and Fung, 2016).
Should global citizenship replaces national identity
With the turn towards 20th century was considered as a major challenge to the age of Nations, as
it has changed the phrasing of social sciences, in the line of the unconstrained increase of
globalization as well as the emergence of the multinational companies that positively contribute
towards the GDP of several countries. In addition to this, globalism has supported in approaching
towards the ‘clash of civilizations’ where numerous of national and international identities
engage in a clash to arise as the most superior among all and allow the individual to migrate from
their home to other countries with undertaking the global citizenship. The consequence of
globalization on the national identity is regarded as the complex process. As per the view of
Milner (2019), it is considered as the force that weakens and challenges the national identity,
while others contend that globalization trends to strengthen the national feelings. In addition to
this, it has been stated that the globalization has not only conveyed the world closer than ever but
it has also prepared people towards their own personalities and uniqueness. It has also impacted
the world to be more obliged towards the diversity of cultures and nationalities (Zajda, 2017).
The survey conducted by BBC, clearly states that individual is progressively choosing to
recognize as ‘global’ nations first priority as they are looking beyond a viewpoint that emphases
on borders and national differences. Thus, more and more people are taking up an identity of
Global Citizen. It's significant to note that intellect of "global citizenship" does not substitute the
individual identified as belonging to a certain nation rather it is an addition to the national
identity where the individual is connected towards imparting their responsibility towards the
whole world (Cullen, 2017).
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However, in emerging countries, the concept of global citizenship has become more popular
because the individual primarily considered themselves as global citizens rather than national
citizens. For instance, during the past decade interest in abroad higher education through
internationalization has been intensified (Collier, 2018). While the concept of civic education or
engagement has widened from a nationwide focus to a more global one that ensures civic
accountability encompasses beyond the national borders.
In the year 2012, the UN Secretary-General has launched the innovative five-year Global
Education First Initiative as a determination to grasp the Millennium Development Goals. Also,
the year 2015 has been labelled as the European Year of Development that mainly aimed at
nurturing the awareness of the public on the development issues. Hence, above are the few
examples of the application of the concept of global education into the development practice at
different levels (Dower and Williams, 2016). With undertaking the global education outside the
home country individual is liable to gain global citizenship. In contrast with this, national
identity also plays a significant role among the individual as it give sense of patriotism as a
whole and they are also represented by distinctive ethnicities, culture, and politics. Moreover,
national identity also denoted as the subjective feeling that one share among the group of people
regarding the nation, irrespective of one's legal citizenship status. In contrast with the national
identity, the concept of global citizenship abandons the notion of a human and acquaint with an
identity that is well-defined positively. It supports in creating the individuals that are profoundly
devoted in the world as a whole (Parekh, 2013). With the adoption of this global identity as a
primary communal distinctiveness is understood by the followers of the idea that ensure
resolving of the world´s difficulties, such as poverty and national conflict.
In the complex world, individualistic high flyers that got benefited from the globalization focus
on the borderless world and live in their global-citizen bubble with valuing autonomy over local
and community attachment. In addition to this, these individuals hold on to the cosmopolitan
standards and see themselves as “global citizens” that have come from distinctive social
backgrounds all over the world with having more and more beliefs. The global citizens mainly
include working-class labour migrants as well as young people who moved to the new city for
further study (Matthewsand Sidhu, 2015).
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With the increase, the international perspective, business collaboration, and communication need
to be globalised. In today's world across national borders people seek for business, education,
cultural exchange and different lifestyle as it promotes identification with the outside community
and increases common values. This helps people in adapting cosmopolitanism, so they can be
recognized as world citizens. Although this trend is a threat to the national identity as it softens
the idea of being a citizen (Furia 1, 2015). Many researchers found that due to globalisation
many times the nature of patriotism decreases in a citizen, they become less loyal towards once
responsibilities and also its impact on their willingness to fight for their own country. Therefore,
it has been stated that the rise in globalism doesn’t mean to be the end for nationalists.
Through assessing the above statement it can be said that global citizenship never replaces the
national identity as the global citizen will be attracted towards the home country and nation. A
survey conducted by the World Values Survey it has been identified that global citizens love
their country 82 percent of the respondents strongly acknowledged with their nation while 74
percent are highly delighted of their nation that does not lead to shedding the national identity.
Figure 1: Global citizens still see themselves as part of their nation
(Source: Bayram-Burcu, 2017)
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Figure 2: Global citizens proud to be from their nation
(Source: Bayram-Burcu, 2017)
From the above-gathered data, it has been stated that national identity among the global citizens
is something that needed to be celebrated as they are more likely to feel proud of where they
belong. However, most of the global citizens do not shack their national identity as they are still
defensive towards accomplishing their national interests (Bayram-Burcu, 2017).
Through undertaking the survey it has been also identified that some of the people have a weak
national identity mainly the Europeans, Africans as well as Middle Easterners. The citizens see
themselves as an extensive identity associated with citizens of the world or connect with the
ethnic or tribal affiliation that leads to move in a foreign country. Contrary to this, some people
have a robust countrywide identity such as Americans, Japanese and Russians. For instance,
American people possess high nationalism that has their own identities (i.e. regional, religious,
ethnic, etc.) and their national identity comes first in each and every aspect. As per the view of
Lyons et al. (2012), the more globalized is the countries are more rationalized and more
democratic that ensure high integrity of the nationalism. For instance, the Western European
countries feature a long process of political integration that is considered a significant aspect that
leads to the decline of national identity.
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In regard to the notion of global citizenship, it has been assessed that it is a form of self-
justification. It permits economic influential to overlook that their companies were made
conceivable by the reserves and institutions of actual nations to shed their concern for the health
of those nations. However, with the increasing globalization and technological advancement, it
will enable to adjust and change the localities so that they may think locally and act globally
(Dowerand Williams, 2016).
But in the end, nation-states, as well as national citizenship, still matter most for the dominated
countries as they ensure undertaking so that they may easily overcome the large-scale problem-
solving. In the situation, if humanity prevents climate catastrophe, it will be because of the states
like China, India, and the U.S. as each of them perform and act together.
From the analysis of gathered data, it has been stated that higher level of globalisation negatively
related to the patriotism and doesn’t ensure inclination towards fighting for one’s country and
national identity (Cullen, 2017). On an average, individuals from the countries that relatively
ensure the spread of ideas, as well as the flow of goods and capital in that region people, are less
expected to be proud of the country as they are not supported with the ethnic criteria of the
countries. Therefore, the result has stated that globalisation does not lead to the decline of
national identity.
On the contrary to this, it has been analysed that with the high level of national identification and
nationalism among the individual or expatriates lead to showcases their proud moment for the
home country (Matthews and Sidhu, 2015). However, they are likely to deliver the services and
practices for the significance of their home country rather than the globalised country. Hence, the
spread of globalization does not diminish the people’s identification with their nationwide group
or their understanding and opinion regarding their country better than the other countries.
Therefore, result from the above study implies that the connection between the globalisation and
national identity is not clearly definite because it is connected with some of the aspects, not with
the others aspects. The implication states that globalization is correlated with the different
dimensions of national identity that has supported the individual to maintain their dimension of
the national identity.
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Conclusion
From the entire essay, it has been implied that increasing globalization practices has removed the
obstacle and barrier to the migrants and it allows easy attainment of global citizenship with the
aim to protect the global environment. On the other hand, it has also summarized that increasing
level of global citizenship does not affect and replaces the national identity as an individual will
remain attached to the moral beliefs and aspiration.
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References
 Ariely, G., 2012. Globalisation and the decline of national identity? An exploration
across sixty-three countries. Nations and Nationalism. 18 (3). pp. 461–482.
 Bayram-Burcu, A., 2017. Rise in globalism doesn’t mean the end for nationalists.
[Online]. Available through: <https://theconversation.com/rise-in-globalism-doesnt-
mean-the-end-for-nationalists-81463>. [Accessed on 12th April 2019].
 Cullen, A., 2017. Illicit financial flows and sustainable development: reflections on
economic liberalisation, globalisation and the rule of law at national and international
levels.
Collier, S.P., 2018. The downside of globalisation: Why it matters and what can be done
about it. The World Economy, 41(4), pp.967-974.
 Dower, N. and Williams, J., 2016. Global citizenship: A critical introduction. Routledge.
Parekh, B., 2013. Cosmopolitanism and global citizenship. Review of International
Studies, 29(1), pp.3-17.
 Furia 1, P.A., 2015. Global citizenship, anyone? Cosmopolitanism, privilege and public
opinion. Global Society, 19(4), pp.331-359.
 Green, D., 2016. Do people identify as global or national citizens? New report suggests a
tipping point, but North and South heading in opposite directions. [Online]. Available
through: <https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/do-people-identify-as-global-or-national-citizens-
new-report-suggests-a-tipping-point-but-north-and-south-heading-in-opposite-
directions/>. [Accessed on 12th April 2019].
 Ho, V. and Fung, A., 2016. Cultural policy, Chinese national identity and globalisation.
In Global media and national policies (pp. 106-121). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Milner, H.V., 2019. Globalisation, Populism and the Decline of the Welfare
State. Survival, 61(2), pp.91-96.
 Liu, E., 2012. Why There's No Such Thing as Global Citizenship. [Online]. Available
through: <https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/08/why-theres-no-such-
thing-as-global-citizenship/261128/>. [Accessed on 12th April 2019].
 Lyons, K., Hanley, J., Wearing, S. and Neil, J., 2012. Gap year volunteer tourism: Myths
of global citizenship?. Annals of tourism research, 39(1), pp.361-378
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 Matthews, J. and Sidhu, R., 2015. Desperately seeking the global subject: International
education, citizenship and cosmopolitanism. Globalisation, Societies and
Education, 3(1), pp.49-66.
 Zajda, J., 2017. Globalisation and national identity in history textbooks: The Russian
Federation (Vol. 16). Springer.
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