Date of Award

2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

International Studies

First Advisor

Fait Muedini

Abstract

With the turn of the century, the rise of globalization has greatly impacted, and continues to impact, the development of nation-states’ economies and native cultures. This international phenomenon generates the idea that countries are now on a similar playing field, whether that be culturally, economically, or politically. While it is hard to defend the latter, globalization has seemingly “flattened” the world by way of bringing individuals of different cultures, ethnicities, races, genders, and nationalities closer together. Moreover, as citizens of this internationalized community, we see a specific type of cultural globalization through increased opportunities in travel, the rise in number of international organizations, and the concept of borderless education. This study highlights one essential component of the aforementioned cultural globalization: the rise of global education and the so-called “Americanization” of classrooms abroad. As a dual citizen of Italy and the United States of America, it is important for me to examine the relationship that these two countries possess in the realm of education with a more critical viewpoint, observing the impact that certain channels of American education have on native Italian culture, language, and schooling. Through personal interviews with Italian and American students alike, this thesis compares the experiences of student groups at one particular American university in Rome, Italy: John Cabot University. These conversations combined with academic research generate the scale to which Americans interact with the “local” in their host countries, as well as the education that Italians feel that they are receiving. All in all, with recent developments by prominent universities in creating American campuses abroad, it is manifested that this topic is becoming more relevant than ever in discussions on international education and the use of soft power in higher education.

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