Throughout this module, I have learnt some fundamental skills and gained an understanding of different aspects of society and how it comes together.
We have focused on various topics, such as exploration and innovation in cross-cultural contexts, where we had a chance to learn about how different cultures perceive, embrace and explore innovation and the impact of innovation on societies from different backgrounds. Some other topics we looked at were local and global dimensions of higher education, focusing on George Ritzer’s Theory of Mcdonalidsation, education beyond boundaries, challenges of cross-cultural collaboration and an introduction to the country we explored and visited on a field trip, Thailand.
This can all be tied together since there are essential links between the complexities of cross-cultural collaboration and local and global dimensions of higher education, and by immersing ourselves within a different cultural context, we can witness the interplay between education, cultural diversity and the challenges and opportunities that arise both in Thailand and the UK.
Comparing them, we can see the differences in society, how they can have a major effect on education, and their differences in boundaries. During our field trip in Thailand, we attended some fascinating lectures that were opened to compare the society in Thailand with the UK, for example, how education in Thailand proposes a strong emphasis on respect for authority and how there is an incorporation of Buddhist teaching and values. Conversely, the UK has more individualistic values and focuses on independent learning and critical thinking. Both countries also have different boundaries, such as how Thailand values collectivism and community, which is the opposite of the UK, where individualism is highly valued. The aspects that I found the most significant were looking at how culture can be notably different worldwide and the cause behind the differences, i.e. religious teachings, boundaries and how people are brought up to have different views due to their teachings.
Overall, I found the field trip to aid my learning as I had a chance to explore the culture and experience the society and higher education there, drawing daily comparisons and using what I had learnt during lessons to conclude all these societal differences.
Marina Hassani