Global Anglophone-centrism: A Multiculturalist and Decolonial Critique of English Dominance in Cosmopolitanism Restricted; Files Only
Yang, Peiying (Spring 2023)
Abstract
In this thesis, I inquire into the issue of English dominance in contemporary cosmopolitanism via a multidisciplinary approach with a focus on the intersection of philosophy and education. Particularly, the increase of international students who are English-language learners (ELLs) on US college campuses has given rise to my questions as to (1) whether the trend for Global South families to send their children abroad to study in developed English-speaking countries perpetuates the dominion of the Global North, which takes the form of linguistic and cultural assimilation, and (2) what could be done to propel equal mutual recognition between native and non-native speakers of English, so we may attain a truly more inclusive, egalitarian form of cosmopolitanism. I first begin with an investigation into the theory of multiculturalism as a premise of cosmopolitanism, tracing its origin back to Herder and Hegel’s views of “foreign,” non-Western cultures while elaborating on Charles Taylor’s contemporary interpretation of it. I then draw on Marxist class theory, Foucauldian power relations, and Fanonian decolonial thought to unearth and criticize the neoliberal and neocolonial implications within today’s Anglophone-centric cosmopolitanism as a discourse that is circulated and preserved by the international education industry. Finally, I relocate my research to the pragmatic context of college writing centers. By revisiting the Freirean critical pedagogy and incorporating the use of humor creatively, I attempt to devise a dialogue-based pedagogy that can not only reinstate ELLs’ confidence and agency as non-native speakers and writers of English, but also promote equal conversation and mutual understanding between the cultural and linguistic majority and minorities in the broader field of global education.
Table of Contents
Introduction – What Is It Like to Be a Cosmopolitan? .... 1
Chapter I – Unearthing Hegel’s Heritage: A Genealogy of Multiculturalism .... 4
Recognition Problematized in Hegel’s Master-Slave Dialectic .... 5
The Hegelian Colonialist World Order and Its Continuing Impact .... 8
Revisiting Taylorian Multiculturalism and the Role of Language .... 13
Chapter II – Sketching the English-Learning International Student: The Neoliberal and Neocolonial Backdrop to English-Dominant Cosmopolitanism .... 19
The Cosmopolitan Bourgeoisie and International Education: A Marxist Survey .... 20
The Birth of International Student, or the Neoliberal Elite: A Foucauldian Recap .... 24
The International Student and a Reviving Colonialism: A Fanonian Critique .... 29
Chapter III – Reimagining a Critical Pedagogy of Mutual Recognition: Writing Center in the Face of Anglophone-centrism .... 35
English Language Learners in the Writing Center: A Brief Overview .... 36
Reconstructing Guiding Questions: A Freirean Socratic Method .... 39
Laughter as Bond and Weapon: A Critical Pedagogy of Humor .... 44
Conclusion – Toward an All-Inclusive Cosmopolitanism .... 50
Bibliography .... 52
About this Honors Thesis
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File download under embargo until 19 May 2025 | 2023-04-05 11:50:02 -0400 | File download under embargo until 19 May 2025 |
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