Being and becoming cosmopolitan in early childhood curriculum: 'Roots', 'wings' and cosmopolitan citizenship

This article focuses on the notion of cosmopolitan citizenship as comprised of 'roots' (belonging and local) and 'wings' (becoming and global) to critically investigate how the concepts of local, global, belonging and becoming are held in tension in educational discourse in New Zealand and Australia. The complexities of thinking cosmopolitanism in early childhood discourse are explored through the following questions as a guide in the discussion: what is the historical relationship between concepts of 'roots' and 'wings' and cosmopolitanism in educational thought? Why might it be relevant to investigate how cosmopolitanism as a concept has shaped core aspects of the early childhood curriculum in New Zealand and Australia? How can the past help us to imagine possible futures as citizens of this planet? A key argument is that cosmopolitanism in educational policy has a tendency to diffuse foci on difficult issues around difference, which makes it a seductive discourse that ultimately supports global educational trends towards 'learning societies'. It is argued that critical engagement with cosmopolitanism may generate new perspectives on how we may live together in a rapidly changing, diverse world.