World Scouting: Educating for Global Citizenship

by E. Vallory

Overview

In a very comprehensible and entertaining way explores the main findings of the first academic research on world scouting, the largest young movement on the planet. The work revisits scouting's origins, analyzing its structure and recognition policy, its role in developing ideas of global citizenship and belonging, and the spirit of scouting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780230340688
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	03/27/2012
Edition description:	2012
Pages:	235
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Eduard Vallory is Visiting Scholar at New York University. He has previously been Director of the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and International Commissioner of Catalan Scouting.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

Foreword Dr. Joseph P. Farrell xi

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction 1

1 One Hundred Years of Transforming the Future 7

1 The Precedents of World Scouting (1907-1920) 8

1.1 An Idea, a Book, and How They Came About 8

1.2 Scouting in Britain and Its Spontaneous Internationalization 13

1.3 Peace and the Ideal of the League of Nations 18

2 The Historical Development of Scouting Worldwide 21

2.1 The Period under the Leadership of Robert Baden-Powell 21

2.2 The Globalization of Scouting 31

3 Evolution of the WOSM Censuses (1924-2004) 37

4 World Scouting in the Twenty-first Century: Some Numbers 42

2 An Ideal, a Movement, an Organization 51

1 Essential Characteristics of Scouting 53

1.1 Definition (What it is) 54

1.2 Purpose (Why It Does Exist) and Principles (Values on Which It Is Based) 59

1.3 Educational Method 64

2 A Highly Intuitive Educational Movement 68

2.1 More a Network Movement Than an Organization 68

2.2 The Educational Impact and the "Magic" of Scouting 71

3 How the Organization Works: Town, Country, and World 78

3.1 The Local Group and the National Association 80

3.2 When a Country Has More Than One Association 82

3.3 World Organization(s) and Global Belonging 85

3.4 The Gender Approach: WOSM and WAGGGS Separated... Forever? 88

4 Recognition and Belonging 91

4.1 Relevance of the Recognition Policy 92

4.2 Differentiating between What Is and Is Not Scouting 95

4.3 Religion, Culture, Tradition: Motives for Split in Scouting 98

3 "Glocal" Citizenship Education 105

1 Citizenship Education and Scouting 106

1.1 What Does to Educate Citizens Mean? 106

1.2 The Assumptions of "Citizenship" in Scouting 108

1.3 Values to Perpetuate Society versus Values to Transform Society 112

2 Consistency and Incoherencies in a Global Movement 122

2.1 Scouting in the United States: Controversies and Culture War 123

2.2 Spiritual Dimension and Dependence from Denominations 134

2.3 Social Values, Cultural Change, and Critical Thinking 141

3 Local Rooting, National Belonging, and Global Commitment 152

3.1 Peace Culture, Human Rights, and Community Development 155

3.2 Legitimizing International Institutions 159

Concluding Remarks 163

Appendix: Countries and Territories with Associations Belonging to World Scouting (WOSM and/or WAGGGS, 2011) 169

Notes 175

Bibliography 209

Index 219

Editorial Reviews

A historical analysis of Scouting as the world's largest youth educational movement, with special attention paid to its global role in citizenship education. In this well-researched work, Vallory examines the history of Scouting from its beginnings in 1907, when Robert Baden-Powell wrote Scouting for Boys, and how it evolved, quickly including Girl Scouts (or Guides) and spreading to 172 countries or territories by 2011. Very little literature exists on the subject, as Joseph P. Farrell, of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, explains in a useful introduction. This book addresses that gap. Vallory first provides a history of world Scouting and goes on to describe Scouting's core characteristics, including its definition, purpose, methods, organization and means of differentiation. Finally, Vallory discusses "glocal" citizenship education and the tensions among local, national and global commitments. Extensive notes and a bibliography serve as additional resources. U.S. readers will be especially interested in how the American system differs from that of other countries, with the ideology of sponsoring organizations, such as the YMCA and the Mormon church, conditioning the Scout association. "The controversial manner in which [Boy Scouts of America] executives have dealt with issues concerning homosexuality and atheism is not dissociated from its very unique model of operation," writes Vallory. (The BSA's decision to allow gay members, though not leaders, is too recent to be included here.) Via the work's focus on history, readers can better understand Scouting's relationship with progressive education. The author makes an excellent case for the importance of Scouting as an education in global citizenship, pointing out, for example, that "individual young scouts in Arab countries were very active [in 2011] around the so-called Arab Spring in Tunisia or Egypt, claiming their role as real citizens, despite the institutional relations their scout associations enjoy with the status quo." Those who think of Scouting as little more than songs around a campfire will have much to learn from this intelligent, thorough discussion. A valuable, readable contribution to the history of Scouting.

Kirkus Reviews

"Written in a very exciting style that will make you want to keep reading till the end, this book explains the main findings of a prior academic research on World Scouting that was accomplished earlier by the same author as part of his doctoral research. Using new data and a storytelling technique, the current work revisits how Scouting started, showing its informal launching and its historical evolution throughout the twentieth century. The book analyzes Scouting's structure and recognition policy, its role in developing ideas of global citizenship and belonging, and the spirit of Scouting." - World Scout Bureau

"I have just finished reading Eduard Vallory's excellent new book. It is quite possibly the best discourse on World Scouting and non-formal education I have ever had the good fortune to read. He combines a forensic exploration of the Movement's roots and history with a fascinating examination of some of the thorny issues with which we all grapple today, as Scouting

claims its position as the world's most influential membership organisation for young people. Vallory's style, whilst uncompromising in its academic rigour, is highly readable for a reader who normally prefers 'doing' Scouting to studying it. It is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand Scouting and its educational mission." - John May, Vice-Chairman of the World Scout Committee and the Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award for Young People

"The twenty-first century could aptly be termed the century of learning and teaching in that those will be the definitive social processes to determine the fate of humanity as we face growing environmental, political, demographic, or economic global challenges. Education has been deeply rethought around the world with greater emphasis on the long-term outcomes of education, on learning in context in order to emphasize the development of skills, of practical know how, in addition to the developm

ent of academic knowledge. There is also growing awareness of the importance of developing civic identity, character, individual agency, and responsibility. This book is a fascinating account of how the World Scout Movement has addressed these issues over the last century. In an engaging historical and sociological analysis, Vallory examines how this global movement of nonformal education wrestled with the tensions between shaping civic identity in ways that carefully negotiated the commitment and loyalty to local, national, and global communities. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how social movements and voluntary organizations can successfully contribute to preparing our youth to develop some of the competencies that will most matter to their ability to take charge of their future." - Fernando Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

"The research which Eduard Vallory has produced is not just exceptional, it is unique, because it is the first ever written academic study on World Scouting, both in its origin, evolution, and globality. This book thus fills a great void. It should become a landmark in the 'history of education' as it demonstrates how the world's largest and oldest youth movement has contributed and still contributes to structuring the personality of yesterday's and today's youth towards a most needed local and global citizenship." - Dr. Jacques Moreillon, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (1988-2004), former Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross

"This book shows that the diversity of the Scout movement makes it one of the biggest multicultural and multidenominational world networks for education and joint action with young people. In addition, Vallory also unveils how Scouting values of peace, tolerance, and solidarity shape responsible individuals into global citizens with critical thinking skills and a commitment to human rights individuals who are willing to make a change anywhere they find injustice. Today, when the transition from a culture of imposition, violence, and war to a culture of dialogue, conciliation, and peace is more urgent than ever, the everyday behaviour guided by these values can become crucial for the emancipation of a humanity 'relieved from fear and misery', as enshrined in the Preamble of the Universal Declaration." - Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Director-General of the UNESCO (1987-1999); Chairman of the Foundation for a Culture of Peace

"This concise and informative volume proves that scouting can be a serious academic subject, revealing much about changing societal values in an increasingly globalized world. While an informative and useful read for scholars of youth or educational movements, Vallory's well-researched work will also be appreciated by anyone who has experienced firsthand the "magic" of scouting." - The Journalof the History of Childhood and Youth

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