Educating Global Citizens: Toward the Development of a Core International Studies Text.

Over the past decade, there has been rapid growth in the number of multidisciplinary International Studies programs across the country. These programs are quite diverse, yet appear to be bound by the idea that students must acquire a particular body of knowledge, skills and appreciations to operate effectively in a changing and increasingly complex world. Unlike international relations, which constitutes its own discipline and has generated an abundance of texts reflecting its core concepts, International Studies looks at the world through multiple lenses. The absence of core texts accounting for these multidisciplinary perspectives has affected the continuity of curricula across introductory level courses. This paper will suggest the key elements that might serve as the basis for a core International Studies text for use in introductory courses seeking to incorporate multidisciplinary perspectives. It builds upon the discussions during a related panel sponsored by the International Education section at the 2004 meeting of the International Studies Association that sought to identify commonalities in International Studies courses. This paper will identify the major concepts and issue areas that would frame an introductory level text and then proceed to outline the type of material that would go into an elaboration of these basic themes. The objective is the development of a text that enables students to become more knowledgeable about the world and to prepare them for the challenges they will confront as citizens and participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]