Fostering Global Citizenship through the UNESCO Young People`s World Heritage Education Programme

• Author / Creator

  Barry, Taryn

• In recent years due to the evolving interconnectedness around the globe, global citizenship has become a prominent area of research. While investigation of this phenomena has expanded, few studies exist on how global citizenship is fostered vis-à-vis international youth programs. The purpose of this study therefore, is to understand in what ways the UNESCO Young Peoples World Heritage Education Programme has fostered global citizenship, supporting the development of life-long global citizens. Using an interpretivistic approach, the study has gathered the individual perspectives of former youth delegates (9 delegates from 7 countries) of the 2008 World Heritage Youth Component held in Quebec City through semi-structured interviews. Cross analysis through a literature review on global citizenship was utilized to confirm findings from interviews. The use of high impact learning and the encouragement to employ knowledge within both local and global spheres, allowed for five types of individual transformations to occur. While in some ways differences between individual viewpoints became linked to distinctions in cultural backgrounds and societal contexts, similarities dominated. These similarities are attributed to the role global institutions play in influencing individual perspectives on global citizenship. Practical implications from this study offer a greater understanding into the type of global citizenship that is fostered by international youth programs. This recognition may equip the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme in particular to further develop young people as actively engaged global citizens, leading to stewardship and sustainable management of the world’s most outstanding natural and cultural heritage.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Global citizenship
  • World heritage
  • Youth

• Graduation date

  Fall 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3K96H

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.