I have argued that students should develop a delicate balance of cultural, national, and global identifications and
allegiances. I conceptualize global identification similar to the way in which Nussbaum (2002,4) defined
cosmopolitanism: people “whose allegiance is to the worldwide community of human beings.” Nussbaum (2002, 9)
pointed out, however, that “to be a citizen of the world one does not need to give up local identifications, which can
be a source of great richness in life.”
I believe that cultural, national, and global identifications are interrelated in a developmental way, and that
students cannot develop thoughtful and clarified national identifications until they have reflective and clarified
cultural identifications, and that they cannot develop a global or cosmopolitan identification until they have
acquired a reflective national identification. We cannot expect Mexican-American students who do not value their
own cultural identity and who have negative attitudes toward Mexican-American culture to embrace and fully
accept Anglo or AfricanAmerican students.
The Stages of Cultural Identity
Self-acceptance is a prerequisite to the acceptance and valuing of others. Students from racial, cultural, and
language minority groups that have historically experienced institutionalized discrimination, racism, or other forms
of marginalization often have a difficult time accepting and valuing their own ethnic and cultural heritages.
Teachers should be aware of and sensitive to the stages of cultural development that all of their studentsincluding
mainstream students, students of color, and other marginalized groups of students-may be experiencing
and facilitate their identity development.
Using my Stages of Cultural Development Typology (Figure 2), teachers can help students attain higher stages of
cultural development and develop clarified cultural, national, and global identifications (J. Banks 2001). I believe
that students need to reach Stage 3 of this typology, “Cultural Identity Clarification,” before we can expect them to
embrace other cultural groups or attain thoughtful and clarified national or global identifications. The typology is
an ideal-type concept. Consequently, it does not describe the actual identity development of any particular
individual. Rather, it is a framework for thinking about and facilitating the identity development of students who
approximate one of the stages.
During Stage 1, “Cultural Psychology Captivity,” individuals internalize the negative stereotypes and beliefs about
their cultural groups that are institutionalized within the larger society and may exemplify cultural self-rejection
and low self-esteem. Cultural encapsulation and cultural exclusiveness, and the belief that their ethnic group is
superior to others, characterize Stage 2, “Cultural Encapsulation.” Individuals within this stage often have newly
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discovered their cultural consciousness and try to limit participation to their cultural group. They have ambivalent
feelings about their cultural group and try to confirm, for themselves, that they are proud of it. In Stage 3, “Cultural
Identity Clarification,” individuals are able to clarify their personal attitudes and cultural identity and to develop
clarified positive attitudes toward their cultural group. In this stage, cultural pride is genuine rather than contrived.
Individuals within Stage 4, “Biculturalism,” have a healthy sense of cultural identity and the psychological
characteristics to participate successfully in their own cultural community as well as in another cultural
community. They also have a strong desire to function effectively in two cultures.
Enlarge this image.
Individuals in Stage 5, “Multiculturalism and Reflective Nationalism,” have clarified, reflective, and positive
personal, cultural, and national identifications and positive attitudes toward other racial, cultural, and ethnic
groups. At Stage 6, “Globalism and Global Competency,” individuals have reflective and clarified national and
global identifications. They have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively within their own
cultural communities, within other cultures within their nation-state, in the civic culture of their nation, and in the
global community. Individuals within Stage 6 exemplify cosmopolitanism and have a commitment to all human
beings in the world community (Nussbaum 2002). Gutmann (2004) argued that the primary commitment of these
individuals is to justice, not to any human community.
Strong, positive, and clarified cultural identifications and attachments are a prerequisite to cosmopolitan beliefs,
attitudes, and behaviors. It is not realistic to expect Puerto Rican students in New York City to have a strong
allegiance to U.S. national values or deep feelings for dying people in Afghanistan if they feel marginalized and
rejected within their community, their school, and in their nation-state. We must nurture, support, and affirm the
identities of students from marginalized cultural, ethnic, and language groups if we expect them to endorse
national values, become cosmopolitans, and work to make their local communities, the nation, and the world more
just and humane.
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This paper was presented when the author received the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA)
Social justice Award at the Inauguration of the Award at the Annual Conference of the American Educational
Research Association, April 12-16, 2004, San Diego, California.
Enlarge this image.
Sidebar
Literate citizens in a diverse democratic society should be reflective, moral, and active citizens in an
interconnected global world.
Sidebar
Teachers should be aware of and sensitive to the stages of’cultural development that all of their students-including
mainstream students, students of’color, ana other marginalized groups of students-may be experiencing and
facilitate their identity development.
References
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