TC's Gaudelli: "Globalism Deepened Schism in Opinions About Obama Presidency" | Teachers College Columbia University

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TC’s Gaudelli: “Globalism Deepened Schism in Opinions About Obama Presidency”

William Gaudelli, Associate Professor of Social Studies and Education
William Gaudelli, Associate Professor of Social Studies and Education
In an interview with C.M. Rubin, author of the “Global Search for Education: Coming Together” blog on the Huffington Post site, TC’s Bill Gaudelli says globalism “undoubtedly contributed” to sharply different assessments of Barack Obama’s presidency.

“While some celebrated the accomplishments of the first African-American president, others devolved into deep-seated anger about how his presidency altered the course of the US, globally and at home,” Gaudelli says. “Globalization has undoubtedly contributed to these differences, since the gaps – in education, wealth and access to cultural difference – nurture profoundly different outlooks.”

“These differences can begin to be addressed by building a new, 21st Century economy, one that grows in the rustbelt and throughout the many regions ‘left behind’ around new, green technologies, nano manufacturing for healthcare, micro-finance for local resilience. ... Promoting earnest dialog, engaged listening and empathic opportunities, mainly in schools but also through community-based organizations, are needed to help people see that otherness is not a fundamental threat but a core advantage of being in the US, one that contributes to a stronger society.”

To read the blog posting, go here.

Published Wednesday, Jan 18, 2017