Native English speaking teachers as cosmopolitans or citizens of ‎the world: An anthropological study in Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract

The study of cosmopolitans – citizens of the world— and cosmopolitanism, traceable to ancient Greece, has, after a long decline in interest, made a strong comeback in social sciences since the 1990s, particularly in sociology and anthropology. This anthropological study aims to understand cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitans through native English speaking teachers (NESTs) living in and working at various foundation universities in Istanbul, Turkey. A qualitative method of in-depth interviews with 21 participants was employed over a period of 20 months. Drawing from Diogenes’ and Kant’s concept of “world citizen”, the author elaborates on this theory by highlighting how cosmopolitanism has varied due to globalization and given birth to new cosmopolitan types, one of which is the white-collar cosmopolitan, a category defined through themes and commonalities during data analysis and the interviews, to which NESTs belong. The findings also indicate that cosmopolitanism is evolving into a new form and producing new meanings through specific dispositions particularly, willingness to engage with “the Other” and to embrace cultural, social, ethnic, and religious diversity.