Abstract:

Polarization as regards civic education is now well-marked. At one pole is the objective of national identity and pride in what defines and unites us; at the other preparing the young as citizens of a now variable, unpredictable world, while risks and challenges of fear and hatred increasingly lie at home and target "Otherness." Shaping the future of now-threatened US-China relations will be a new generation, already sizing up who players are on a world stage.

This is a program of dialog between US and Chinese teens, with the purpose to reduce in this generation the risks that “Otherness” creates. The attitudes that young people of each nation are now forming will ultimately shape the future of US-China relations. The goal of the present project is to afford US and Chinese teens an opportunity for direct communication with one another about significant issues. The longer-term objective is that they deepen awareness and understanding of each other, thereby decreasing a sense of “otherness” and increasing realization of their common humanity in an interconnected world.

With the aid of technology, a total of 50 teens in China and the US participated. They had had negligible prior contact with or knowledge of one another and their respective cultures. Participants engaged in two 30-minute one-to-one electronic dialogs each day with rotating between-nation partners over five consecutive days. They discussed significant issues, beginning with one of personal concern – achieving success in school. Participants were able to access factual information provided to them related to the topic to draw on in their discussions if they wished. At the end of the week, participants responded to a reflective open-ended assessment about their experience.

After participating in the program, students in both countries reported that they enjoyed the activity and hoped to participate again, and their families similarly expressed enthusiasm about the workshop. As one American teen wrote “The fact that I was able to communicate with and have real-time conversations with people halfway across the world really stood out to me, and is an experience I'll never forget.” Said another, “The evidence and the claims they were making started to make me question my opinion.” The Chinese teens echoed similar sentiments: “It was unbelievable that I communicated with my American partner without barriers.”“American teens are friendly,” one remarked, and another, “Talking to new people each day allowed me to hear new ideas and perspectives.”

Advances in argumentation skills are expected, but also in values ("Is discussion worthwhile?") and self-concepts as well as concepts and attitudes about previously unknown groups. Further, change is compared across national groups, and across age, to investigate the most productive time to intervene. A program such as this is worthwhile both to these participants and to the world. Even at this small scale, it planted a seed in younger generations of both countries and could potentially have a far-reaching and long-term influence on US-China relations. We are looking forward to securing funding to continue this undertaking on a larger scale.

Keywords:

US-China Relations, Adolescents, Epistemology, Discourse, Culture, Argument.