Background and Scope
There are a variety of views and perspectives and much potential for disagreement about what it means to be an ‘active citizen’ and what active citizenship might mean for people and policy makers.
Civil participation: about people getting involved with each other to pursue their own goals and interests. It includes participation in residents associations, sports clubs, faith groups etc
Civic engagement: tends to refer to the more formal routes of public participation in the process of governance. This could be through user panels, citizens’ juries, citizen governors, non-executive board members, advisory groups, etc.
By participating in this module, teachers can help students to...
- Improve their knowledge and skills, but also their interest in and empathy for people and issues outside their everyday lives.
- Relate to real-world issues and boost their general academic engagement, motivation, and critical-thinking abilities.
- Work with others to improve the kind of interpersonal skills—such as communication, cooperation, and problem-solving.
- Interact with people from other contexts/cultures and they can experience growth in intercultural interest, sensitivity, and empathy.
What is an Active Citizen?
An Active citizen is one with an awareness of the wider world and its people, understanding of how the various systems of the world (e.g., economic, political, cultural, environmental) work on a global scale, respect for and valuing of diversity, and motivation and willingness to act to make the world more just and sustainable.
