Citizenship education and acts of citizenship

Authors

• Reetta Mietola Helsingin yliopisto
• Pekka Koskinen Helsingin yliopisto
• Anna Suni Helsingin yliopisto
• Tomi Kiilakoski Nuorisotutkimusseura

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.107572

Keywords:

youth, citizenship education, citizenship, democracy, ethnography

Abstract

The article discusses citizenship education that takes place in the civil society from the point of view of agency and acts. Drawing from Engin Isin’s theoretisation of citizenship and Gert Biesta’s views on learning democracy, our article suggests that turning the analytical focus on agency and acts of citizenship has potential to provide novel perspective to the ongoing scientific discussion concerning democracy education. We analyse two ethnographic datasets by asking, 1) what kinds of acts of citizenship are formed in the projects and how do these relate to practices of citizenship, and 2) what was the position of young people’s own understandings, experiences and cultures in the projects.  The used datasets were produced in 2019 in two projects organised by two NGO’s working with marginalised and/or minority groups. Both of the projects aimed at working with young people in order to support their participation in society. Analysed data consists of fieldnotes written by researchers and interviews of eight young people participating in the projects. Our paper concludes that the emphasis on actual participation in the projects opens up space for new kinds of thinking, collaborative action and learning. At the same time our examination makes visible challenges involved in developing practice: even if the aim is to support young people’s action and highlight their agency, this is done within the parameters of existing practices and positions of citizenship. Inclusive citizenship education that allows novel forms of action thus needs to be based on a careful analysis of both the practices expected by the context of action and the actual positions of the young people and the possibilities of participation opening up from these.