Anti-global rhetoric has played a big role in recent elections around the world. Dynamic world powers are looking inward. However, despite the rise of anti-global thinking, the truth remains: the world is more globalized than ever before. It’s up to us to understand this rich international exchange and rapid flow of information, culture and goods, rather than fear it.
Developing a global perspective is increasingly vital to thriving in the 21st century. We can apply this international mindset to our travels, our work, how we give (charity) and what we pay attention to (the news and media we consume). Because whether we like it or not, we share this planet with billions of other people. The more you have a global perspective, the more you understand that. There’s no need to fear what’s different. It’s just different.
A global perspective is a comprehensive lens through which you see the world around you. It shapes how you perceive and understand your own identity and the identity of people you interact with, as you begin to understand what goes into shaping culture. A global mindset also encompasses the understanding of globalization and how interconnected each region of the world is economically, politically and socially.
Globalization is the trend towards increasing international interconnectedness among people and entities worldwide. Wikipedia defines it as “the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture.”
There are many ways to foster a global perspective. Traveling or interning abroad are effective ways to expand your worldview, step outside of your comfort zone and experience a different culture and society. Prolonged interactions with a foreign culture forces you to accept a new normal. You can start to see the different forces that shape a culture and how differences in values and circumstances influence certain behaviors. Interning in an office abroad can broaden that understanding as you see how a company operates under a different culture influence. You gain professional experience under international business practices.
Listening to international music, watching foreign television shows or movies, reading foreign literature and taking international classes are other sublime ways to experience another culture and gain a more global perspective.
We live in a globalized world. If you want to be successful, it’s vital to see and understand how the world works and how we are all interconnected through trade, media, the internet, travel and politics. Broadening your sense of normal, your idea of how to interact with others, seeing a company operate in different regions of the world… all of these things are hugely beneficial to being employable in the 21st century.
Sources: http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/global-education/what-are-global-perspectives.html, https://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/the-global-perspective/what-is-a-global-perspective/
Photos:
1. by The Intern Group