Research article | Open Access
International Journal of Progressive Education 2012, Vol. 8(3) 32-47
Promoting 'Active Citizens'? The Critical Vision of NGOs over Citizenship Education as an Educational Priority across Europe
pp. 32 - 47
Publish Date: October 15, 2012 | Single/Total View: 120/436 | Single/Total Download: 180/703
Abstract
In the last decades, Citizenship Education (CE) has been at the forefront of both educational policies and international research regarding curriculum design and impact on pupils‘ knowledge, values and skills. However, not only what citizenship ―is‖ is diversely conceived by different democratic traditions (Eisenstadt, 2000; Heater, 1999) but, obviously, CE also involves organisations beyond the walls of schools. This paper confronts educational policies with the views of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in 20 European countries. Results suggest that the vision of CE as a priority in educational policy documents is questioned by NGOs that consider schools are too focused on formal democracy and overemphasize respect for rules, values and responsibilities, rather than promoting critical, informed and active citizens. Especially in countries with an authoritarian past, NGOs consider that models of conformism and submission are still dominant, and emphasize the role of CE in promoting a strong civil society.
Keywords: citizenship education, educational policies, non-governmental organisations
APA 7th edition
Ribeiro, A.B., Rodrigues, M., Caetano, A., Pais, S., & Menezes, I. (2012). Promoting “Active Citizens”? The Critical Vision of NGOs over Citizenship Education as an Educational Priority across Europe. International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(3), 32-47.
Harvard
Ribeiro, A., Rodrigues, M., Caetano, A., Pais, S. and Menezes, I. (2012). Promoting “Active Citizens”? The Critical Vision of NGOs over Citizenship Education as an Educational Priority across Europe. International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(3), pp. 32-47.
Chicago 16th edition
Ribeiro, Ana Bela, Mariana Rodrigues, Andreia Caetano, Sofia Pais and Isabel Menezes (2012). "Promoting “Active Citizens”? The Critical Vision of NGOs over Citizenship Education as an Educational Priority across Europe". International Journal of Progressive Education 8 (3):32-47.
- Amadeo, J., Torney-Purta, J., Lehman, R., Husfeldt, V., & Nikolova, R. (2002). civic knowledge and engagement: An IEA study for upper secundary students in sixteen countries. Amesterdam: IEA. [Google Scholar]
- Azevedo, C., & Menezes, I. (2008). Transition to democracy and citizenship education in Portugal: changes and continuities in the curricula and in adolescents‘ opportunities of participation. Journal of Social Sciences Education, 9(1), 131-148. [Google Scholar]
- Beiner, R. (Ed.). (1995). Theorizing citizenship. New York: State University NY Press. [Google Scholar]
- Benhabib, S. (1999). Citizens, residents and aliens in a changing world: Political membership in the global era. Social Research, 22, 1-24. [Google Scholar]
- Biesta, G. J. J. (2008). A school for citizens: Civic learning and democratic action in the learning democracy. In B. Lingard, J. Nixon, & S. Ranson (Eds.), Transforming learning in schools and communities (pp. 170-183). London: Continuum. [Google Scholar]
- Biesta, G. J. J., & Lawy, R. (2006). From teaching citizenship to learning democracy: Overcoming individualism in research, policy and practice. Cambridge Journal of Education, 36(1): 63-79. [Google Scholar]
- Bîrzéa, C., Losito, B., & Veldhuis, R. (2005). Introduction. Journal of Social Sciences Education, 3. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.jsse.org/2005/2005-3/jsse- special-issue-european-year-of-citizenship-through-education. [Google Scholar]
- Boje, T. (2008). Citizenship & Civil Society: A Scandinavian Perspective. Paper presented at the Conference on Contemporary European Perspectives on Volunteering: Civic Virtue vs. Social Movement Activism, Stockholm. [Google Scholar]
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101. [Google Scholar]
- Campos, B. P., Costa, M. E. & Menezes, I. (1993). A dimensão social da educação psicológica deliberada. Cadernos de Consulta Psicológica, 9, 11-18. [Google Scholar]
- CIDREE (1994). CIDREE collaborative project on cross-curricular themes. First workshop. Slough, 20-21 January 1994. [Google Scholar]
- Dimitrov, G., & Boyadjieva, P. (2009). Citizenship education as an instrument for strengthening the state‘s supremacy: An apparent paradox? Citizenship Studies, 13(2), 153–169. [Google Scholar]
- Diamond, L., & L. Morlino. (2004). The quality of democracy: An overview. Journal of Democracy, 15(4), 20-31. [Google Scholar]
- Ekman, J., & Amnå, E. (2009). Political participation and civic engagement: Towards a new typology. Youth and Society, 2, 1–29. [Google Scholar]
- Eisenstadt, S. N. (2000). Os regimes democráticos: Fragilidade, continuidade e transformabilidade. Lisbon: Celta. [Google Scholar]
- Fahmy, E. (2006). Young Citizens: Young people‟s involvement in politics and decision making. Hampshire: Ashgate. [Google Scholar]
- Ferreira, P. D., Azevedo, C. N., & Menezes, I. (in press). The developmental quality of participation experiences: Beyond the rhetoric that ―participation is always good!‖. Journal of Adolescence. [Google Scholar]
- Flanagan, C., & Sherrod, L. R. (1998). Youth political development: An introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 54(3), 447-465. [Google Scholar]
- Hahn, C. (1998). Becoming political: Comparative perspectives on citizenship education. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. [Google Scholar]
- Heater, D. (1999). What is Ciizenship? Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. [Google Scholar]
- Hedtke, R. (in press). Who is afraid of non-conformist youth? the right to dissent and to not participate. In R. Hedtke & T. Zimenkova (Eds.), Education for civic and political participation: A critical approach. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar]
- Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288. [Google Scholar]
- Huntington, S. (1992). How Countries Democratize. Political Science Quarterly, 106(4), 579–616. [Google Scholar]
- Ichilov, O. (1998). Citizenship and citizenship education in a changing world. London: Woburn Press. [Google Scholar]
- Janoski, T. (1998). Citizenship and civil society: A framework of rights and obligations in liberal, traditional, and social democratic regimes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
- Kallioniemi, A., Zaleskiene, I., Lalor, J., & Misiejuk, D. (2010). Towards active citizenship: Cooperation between universities and NGO in developing curriculum. Socialinis Ugdymas, 12(23), 5-20. [Google Scholar]
- Kennedy, K. (1997). Citizenship education and the modern state. London: Falmer Press. [Google Scholar]
- Lijphart, A. (1999). Patterns of democracy: Government forms and performance in thirty-six countries. London: Yale University Press. [Google Scholar]
- Marinetto, M. (2003). Who wants to be an active citizen?: The politics and practice of community involvement. Sociology, 37(1), 103–120. [Google Scholar]
- Marshall, T. H. (1950). Citizenship and social class and other essays. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
- McCowan, T. (2009). Rethinking citizenship education: A curriculum for participatory democracy. London: Continuum. [Google Scholar]
- Menezes, I. (2011). Da (inter)acção como alma da política: para uma crítica da retórica ―participatória‖ nos discursos sobre os jovens. In J. Machado Pais & V. S. Ferreira (Eds.), Jovens e rumos (pp. 333-351). Lisbon: ICS. [Google Scholar]
- Morlino, L. (2004). The quality of democracy: Improvement or subversion? introductory remarks. Paper presented at the Doctoral Seminar, Institute of Social Science, University of Lisbon, Lisbon. [Google Scholar]
- Norris, P. (2002). Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing political activism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
- Osterle, S., Johnson, M. K., & Mortimer, J. T. (2004). Volunteerism during the transition to adulthood: A life course perspective. Social Forces, 82(3), 1123–1149. [Google Scholar]
- Osler, A., & Starkey, H. (2006). Education for democratic citizenship: A review of research, policy and practice 1995-2005. Research Papers in Education, 24, 433-466. [Google Scholar]
- Park, S. Y. (2007). Citizenship education through NGOs. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from http://www.citized.info/pdf/commarticles/Citizenship%20Education%20through%20N GOs%20-%20sun%20young.pdf. [Google Scholar]
- Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster. [Google Scholar]
- Ross, A. (2008). A European education: Citizenship, identities and young people. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books. [Google Scholar]
- Russel, A. (2004). The truth about youth? Media portrayals of young people and politics in Britain. Journal of Public Affairs, 4(4), 347-354. [Google Scholar]
- Schulz, W., Ainley, J., Fraillon, J., Kerr, D., & Losito, B. (2010). Initial findings from the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study. Amsterdam: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. [Google Scholar]
- Sheehan, K. B. (2001). E-mail survey response rates: A review. Journal of Computer- Mediated Communication, 6(2). [Google Scholar]
- Stewart, E., & Weinstein, R. S. (1997). Volunteer participation in context: Motivations and political efficacy within three AIDS organizations. American Journal of Community Psychology, 25(6), 809-837. [Google Scholar]
- Sullivan, J. L., & Transue, J. (1999). The psychological underpinnings of democracy: A selective review of research on political tolerance, interpersonal trust and social capital. Annual Review of Psychology, 50, 625-650. [Google Scholar]
- Sultana, R. G. (1992). Personal and social education: Curriculum innovation and school bureaucracies in Malta. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 20(2), 164-185. [Google Scholar]
- Theiss-Morse, E., & Hibbing, J. R. (2005). Citizenship and civic engagement. Annual Review of Political Science, 8, 227-249. [Google Scholar]
- Torney-Purta, J., Schwille, J., & Amadeo, J. (1999). Civic education across countries: Twenty-four national case studies from the IEA Civic Education Project. Amsterdam: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. [Google Scholar]
- Torney-Purta, J., Lehman, R., Oswald, H., & Schultz, W. (2001). Citizenship and education in twenty-eight countries: Civic knowledge and engagement at age 14. Amsterdam: International Association of Evaluation Achievement. [Google Scholar]
- Verba, S., Schlozman, K. L., & Brady, H. E. (2002). Voice and equality: Civic voluntarism in American politics. Harvard, MA: Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar]
- Walzer, M. (1995). The civil society argument. In R. Beiner (Ed.), Theorizing citizenship (pp. 152-174). Albany: State University of New York Press. [Google Scholar]
- Warleigh, A. (2001). ‗Europeanizing‘ Civil Society: NGOs as Agents of Political Socialization. Journal of Common Market Studies, 39(4), 619-639. [Google Scholar]
- Warleigh, A. (2002). Flexible integration: Which model for the European Union? London: Continuum. [Google Scholar]
- Weiler, H. N. (1990). Curriculum reform and the legitimation of educational objectives: The case of the Federal Republic of Germany. Oxford Review of Education, 16(1), 15-27. [Google Scholar]
