"Globalization, Consumerism and the Human Spirit" *

By Sue McGregor

For two decades, I blissfully taught people how to be good little consumers, how to get the best value for their dollar, their consumer rights, what was in their self-interest, consumer protection and so on. It was not until my university department closed four years ago—which meant that all my consumer-studies, finance, education, policy and issues courses were cancelled—that I had the opportunity to see the error of my ways. Not that teaching people how to be efficient in their consumer role is not important. But what was missing was what it means to be an effective global citizen. By chance (or fate?), I was mentored into the position of coordinator of the Peace and Conflict Studies program at my university.

In an abrupt turnabout, I now teach a course called “Globalization, Consumerism and the Human Spirit” (on television) wherein I expose learners (I no longer use the term student) to aspects of the current world view (globalization, neoliberalism, capitalism, social Darwinism), the impact of that world view and of living in a consumer society and how we can live in this world differently as global citizens rather than as consumers. To do this, I draw on the sister fields of global education, peace education, human-rights education and citizenship education. Except for global education, these areas were totally new to me, and I could not figure out why I had not seen the synergy among them before. It is so obvious!

My early university training had me buying into the scientific, capitalistic, consumer world view without critiquing its relevance to the needs of the earth and our human family. My focus was on self-interest, not mutual interest; on ownership, not stewardship; on private versus public. My thinking was too linear, while today it is much more holistic and systems-oriented. I am embracing the new world paradigm that places personal transformation, resilient communities, and peacefully, responsibly, sharing the earth as our home over profit, economic growth, the neoliberal ideology and corporate power.

I also teach a graduate summer institute on “Peace, Human Rights and Citizenship Education in a Consumer Society,” a combination I would not have conceived of in the past. I have to cap the course because there has been so much interest from teachers doing their master’s degrees. I have even written a monograph on peace and home economics so I can sensitize my profession to the need for a transformative paradigm shift so people, nature and peace are placed before money, trade and violence. I now teach toward a culture of peace, mindful, caring markets, participatory consumerism and consumer citizenship.

Sue McGregor is a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Source: The WorldPaper , *Title is selected by Dinesh Gajurel only for individual purpose and sorry for any inconvenient if any made.