International socialization of young people: Obstacles and opportunities

The international or intercultural socialization of young people depends upon an appropriate skill-set and experiential background of a competent core of teachers. This paper presents an analysis of psychosocial development of young people, arguing that the middle childhood years represents the critical period to begin addressing international and intercultural socialization. Analysis of cohorts of educators utilizing the intercultural development inventory (IDI) and other surveys suggest that most teachers, however, lack the knowledge and experience required to adequately address these issues in schools. Finally, research that supports the role that international student teaching experience can play in enhancing teacher's intercultural sensitivity is presented.