• In Chapter 5, Nussbaum makes a case for the kind of education needed if we’re to be “citizens of the world.” As she sees it, we need to be attuned to the global situation, as we live in a truly globalized world – and our challenges are global in scale. She writes, “Colleges cannot convey the type of learning that produces global citizens unless they have a liberal arts structure” ( 93). What is it about the liberal arts structure that gets us there? In your response, make a specific text-to-text connection between Nussbaum in this chapter and some of the coursework required in UNE’s Core. Put differently: Where in UNE’s Core do you find elements of the kind of liberal arts education that can help us be ready for global citizenship? (It’s not necessarily in the Citizenship course, by the way!)

A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world and their place in it. UNE’s core better prepares us to be a global citizen In many ways. The four core ideas that they hope to teach us here at UNE are, Number one “Environmental awareness” Number two “Social and Global awareness” Probably the most important core idea related to Global citizenship, and Number 3 “Critical Thinking” and Finally “Citizenship and civic engagement” which is also very important for Global citizenship. So let’s talk about that a little more. If we are more environmentally and socially aware that is going to help us have more empathy and more understanding for the world around us. Looking at the world through the different lenses that the liberal arts allows us gives us the ability to see different perspectives and why they are important. The information we are able to gather in the course of a liberal arts degree helps people better understand the world as a whole and also helps figure out our individual roles.    

• Nussbaum, in Chapter 6, explores the role of the arts (art, music, dance, literature) in cultivating creative imagination and helping us recognize others in ways that can help us cross divides. She’s also somewhat concerned about support for the arts. Pick one passage that resonates with you, quote it, and explain why you think it’s important. Take a stab at relating the passage to something else we’ve read – or to an event in your own life.

One passage that really stuck out to me was “how do adults sustain and develop their capacity for play after they have left behind the world of childrens games? Wincnicott argued that a key role is played by the arts…. He saw the role of the arts in human life as, above all, that of nourishing and extending the capacity for empathy.” I think when I think about my own life this is very true. When I was younger my imagination was off the deep end I was always playing and thinking of the most crazy scenarios to play out with my stuffed animals and I never really thought about it too much before but I feel like that play time where i was allowed to let my imagination run wild shaped me as a person and plays a role in the extreme empathy I have. I also think it’s interesting thinking about how that play time is translated into our adult lives. For me I get to let my creativity shine at work and I think anyone who works in the arts will tell you the same thing: it’s never boring and there is always something new to do/think about. 

• Chapter 7 puts the model of a liberal arts education squarely in a broader, global context. The U.S., it turns out is in a relatively strong position in terms of preparing students in the ways she recommends. Some other nations are seeking to emulate our approach. And then there are the challenges. Select a part of Nussbaum’s chapter that surprises you when you think about the liberal arts and educational models across the world. Quote it and explain why you’re surprised. 

One thing that stood out to me was when it said “Literacy rates in the nation as a whole are 50% for women and 65% for men, so anyone who progresses even to secondary education is privileged.” That’s just crazy to me. I thought that literacy rates would be much higher than that. It also just makes me so grateful to be at a university at all. When it gets hard and I feel like going home this is a statement that will keep me going. Remembering how lucky I am to even be here at all.