Blog Post 3 – Melissa Hancock – Global Citizenship

 To me, being a global citizen means staying informed about what is happening beyond your own borders and making choices that contribute positively to the world as a whole. By that definition, I do not fully consider myself a global citizen yet. My choices tend to center around my own immediate world, and my awareness of global events has been limited to what surfaces on American news outlets, which is already a filtered view of reality. 

Traveling through Freiburg, Zurich, and Vienna forced me to sit with that honestly. In my last post, I wrote about how Americans move through the world with a kind of quiet privilege, expecting English to be spoken, expecting comfort and familiarity, and expecting accommodation without reciprocating it. That same dynamic applies to global citizenship. If I am only consuming American perspectives on global issues, I am not really engaging with the world. 

One of the responsibilities I carry as an American is the responsibility to vote. This trip reinforced that for me in a concrete way. U.S. elections do not just shape domestic policy, they also shape foreign aid, military involvement, trade agreements, and immigration policy that affects millions of people who have no say in the outcome. The immigration conversations I witnessed in Germany, where anti-immigration sentiment is rising similarly to how it has in the U.S., reminded me that American political decisions send ripples outward in ways most Americans do not stop to consider. Casting an informed vote is one of the most direct ways I can act on global responsibility from home.

Beyond voting, I have a responsibility to educate myself on events and perspectives that exist outside of U.S. borders. The shop worker I met in Vienna spoke English, Spanish, and a few other languages, demonstratinga level of global awareness that most Americans, including myself, do not have. That encounter stuck with me because it illustrated the gap between what global competence looks like and where I currently stand.

In the future, I want to be more intentional about closing that gap by keeping up with international news, making more sustainable choices, using public transit when it is available (and convenient), consuming less, and being more deliberate about where my money goes. It also means approaching global issues with the understanding that my perspective is just one of many. 

Comments

  1. DanielJune 1, 2026 at 11:37 PM

    Melissa,

    I think your point about how our political culture impacts other countries is really important. As someone who finds the politics of other nations fascinating, I certainly agree with you on the importance of following other countries’ news. I think this is a large gap that a lot of Americans could go further to help bridge. I’m curious how you expect following more international news will impact your voting habits.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TCU Global: Energy Transition and Sustainability in Central Europe 2026

Image
  Welcome to the TCU 2026 Study Abroad Blog! How to Create Your Blog Posts and Respond to Classmates Welcome to the TCU Study Abroad Blog! During our time abroad, each student will create blog posts on global issues, the expansion of worldviews, and the meaning of being a global citizen, and respond to classmates’ posts throughout the course. Please see the prompts instructions in the syllabus and the due dates. There will be a 10-point deduction for a late assignment posted within 24 hours of the due date. There is a 25-point deduction if not submitted within 48 hours. There is a 50% deduction if not submitted within 72 hours. No credit after 72 hours. How to Create Your Blog Post Open the blog and click “New Post.” Use the following title format: Blog Post #1 – Your Name – Topic Example: Blog Post #1 – Sarah Johnson – Global Issues Write your post directly in Blogger or paste it from a Word/Google document. Your post should: Be 250–500 words Address the assigned topic and qu...
Read more

Blog Post #1 – Leah Burcham – Global Issues

Growing and maintaining a global outlook requires consistent learning from various perspectives. A large part of my learning so far on this trip has stemmed from the other students. The nature of this trip facilitates a space where everyone is interested in global affairs and history; if we were not, then we would not have participated. Everyone has unique perspectives and cultural backgrounds that influence their perception of global affairs. While I put effort into staying informed about global affairs, my peers' comments and conversations have drawn my attention to points I would not have considered on my own. Being surrounded by other students has helped me to understand the more intricate ways Europe operates as a whole vs. as autonomous countries. Other students have been to countries and cities I haven't been to, so we can compare and contrast our experiences. It was interesting to learn about Germany’s specific anti-nuclear attitude, which differs from that of other Eur...
Read more

Blog Post #1 - Kevin Scifres - Global Issues

     When reflecting on my knowledge of politics I feel I am generally more well informed than the average American . The keyword here is of course American , as our worldview is shaped so much by the places we live. My political knowledge consists almost entirely of news within the United States of America, with relatively little knowledge of how global issues are seen in different countries. Therefore, I feel I must amend my original statement to be that I am generally more well informed about American politics than the average American. It is important to note that I am not criticizing my amended statement, as nobody can be a true expert on every country's political views, nor should they be. In fact, one of the major appeals of traveling abroad is to gain these valuable insights beyond online news articles or headlines.      With the background laid out, and the assurance that I am by no means an expert on the German political climate, I can begin my an...
Read more