Journal of Social Science Education Journal Für Sozialwissenschaftliche Studien Und Ihre Didaktik
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Journal of Social Science Education Journal für sozialwissenschaftliche Studien und ihre Didaktik Critical Civic & Citizenship Education Editor: Isabel Menezes, Tatjana Zimenkova Volume 10, Number 4, © JSSE 4–2011, ISSN 1618–5293 Journal of Social Science Education © JSSE 2011 Volume 10, Number 4, 2011, p. 2 ISSN 1618–5293 Critical Civic & Citizenship Education Editors: Isabel Menezes, Tatjana Zimenkova Isabel Menezes and Tatjana Zimenkova: Editorial ................................................................................................. 3–4 Hugo Monteiro, Pedro Daniel Ferreira: Unpolite Citizenship: The Non-Place of Conflict in Political Education ............................................................................................... 5–11 Georgi Dimitrov: State-Orchestrated Civic Education versus Civic Competences of School Students: Some Conceptual Implications from a National Case Study .......................................................................... 12–21 Kenan Çayır: Turkey’s New Citizenship and Democracy Education Course: Search for Democratic Citizenship in a Difference-Blind Polity? .................................................................... 22–30 Nathalie Muller Mirza: Civic Education and Intercultural Issues in Switzerland: Psychosocial Dimensions of an Education to “Otherness” ............................................................................. 31–40 Jukka Rantala: The Reflection of a Warlike Historical Culture in the Attitudes of Finnish Youths ................ 41–49 Bettina Lösch: The Political Dimension of Global Education: Global Governance and Democracy ................................................................................................................. 50–58 Review: Brigitte Geissel: Critical Citizens: Risk or Resource for a Democracy? (by Dominik Allenspach) .................... 59–60 Country Report: Oyeleke Oluniyi: Citizenship Education and Curriculum Development in Nigeria ......................................... 61–67 Masthead ................................................................................................................................................................. 68 Keywords: Unpolite citizenship, conflict, education, political, school, civic education; cross-country comparative studies; education reform, Turkey, citizenship, human rights education, democracy education, multicultural education, intercultural education, citizenship education, identity, learning, qualitative research, Historical culture, historical consciousness, warlike heritage, reminiscence narratives, Finnish adolescents, Global Education, political education, citizenship education, critical education for democracy, globalisation, global governance, democracy, participation, curriculum, citizenship, civics, social studies. Supported by the Centre for German- and European Studies (Bielefeld/St. Peterburg) within research area “Citizenship and Citizenship Education in Europe” 2 Journal of Social Science Education © JSSE 2011 Volume 10, Number 4, 2011, pp. 3–4 ISSN 1618–5293 Isabel Menezes and Tatjana Zimenkova Editorial The role of education in promoting civic knowledge, citizenship goals, identities and diversity, and globaliza- dispositions and skills has been at the centre of the tion opportunities and social exclusion. In all cases, the educational debate in Europe and beyond since the lack (and the need) for a critical political perspective is late 20th century. As citizens show growing signs of emphasized, at the risk of turning citizenship education political disaffection –resulting, to name just a few, in into a disempowering experience with no actual rela- disengagement, distancing from politics, or choosing tionship with “real” daily life in- and out-of-school. unconventional ways of protesting – and democracies In “Unpolite Citizenship: The Non-Place of Conflict in are said to be experiencing a crisis, education is once Political Education”, Hugo Monteiro and Pedro Ferreira again viewed as a device for reinvigorating politics address the “contradictory realities that value citi- and citizenship. But the “crisis” of democracy is not zenship at the same time undermine politics”, by dis- new and has multiple meanings. To begin with, this cussing what they designate as “the non-place of “crisis” is shared both by traditional and emerging conflict in school practices and discourses”. Hugo and democracies, as political skepticism seems to affect Pedro assume that citizenship and political education citizens independently of the historical institution of in schools risk to be cursed by the school’s “Midas democracy; data from the European Social Survey touch” as “everything that the school touches bec- (ESS), for instance, reveal that levels of political inter- omes school-like” – thus implying that school-based est and trust in political institutions tend to be low citizenship education is hardly emancipatory and em- across European countries. On the other hand, and as powering. In line with Derrida and Rancière, the au- in the late sixties, citizens’ engagement and par- thors claim that conflict and dissensus are at the core ticipation is experiencing “an acute crisis (…) [be- of democracy and that educational practices and poli- cause] new people want to participate, in relation to cies should be repoliticized. new issues, and in new ways” (Verba 1967, 54) – mean- “How come a generation which had not been expo- ing that while traditional forms of political and civic sed to the influence of civic education performed bet- engagement and participation seem to be in reces- ter in civic competences as compared with their sion, other contexts and types of civic engagement followers a decade later?” is the basic question, intri- and participation are certainly expanding (Barnes, guing educational researchers and put forward by Kaase 1979; Norris 1999). Georg Dimitrov’s research in Bulgaria, “State- How is education dealing with this “crisis”? Is civic Orchestrated Civic Education versus Civic Competencies and citizenship education actively confronting these of School Students: Some Conceptual Impli cations from a problems and assuming a critical and political per- National Case Study.” Using the data from the most re- spective, or are these conflicting topics disregarded? cent IEA study in citizenship education, the ICCS, the Are children and young people recognized as political paper questions whether the apparent decline in Bul- actors that should have a say (here and now, irrespec- garian pupils’ civic knowledge and competencies is re- tively of their age) in current debates or merely lated to the teaching of civics and the democratic viewed as future “political spectators who vote”, who ethos of the schools. The author argues that tradition- are to be prepared for fulfilling their duties after be- al school teaching and organization negatively interfe- coming “full” citizens? Does a common, European ap- res with the goals of promoting active and critical proach of critical education request an abstraction citizens –illustrating how the analysis of the impact from the differences of European democracies and of citizenship education should take into account the their different shortcomings? Are there any relevant larger historical, cultural and political pictures. differences between “old” and “new” democracies In an analysis of citizenship education in Turkey, left at all? And if, how do they affect political think- “Turkey’s New Citizenship and Democracy Education ing and acting, teaching and learning? Do historical Course: Search for Democratic Citizenship in a Dif- experience and consciousness influence critical edu- ference-Blind Polity?”, Kenan Çayir considers the recent cation and political discourse in the classroom? introduction of a “citizenship and democratic educa- This volume of the Journal of Social Science Educa- tion” course in grade 8 and discusses both its poten- tion (JSSE), “Critical Civic and Citizenship Education: Is tials and frailties, underlying that “unless human there Anything Political about it?”, aims at contributing rights are addressed in the context of national and in- to this discussion. The authors depart from a reflection ternational politics and, in terms of the rights and the on national experiences in six European countries responsibilities of the citizen, human rights educa- (Portugal, Bulgaria, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, Fin- tion courses might improve a country’s image, but land) to consider the tensions between educational rhe- they would not necessarily provide the basis for de- toric and actual practices, historical narratives and mocratic citizenship” In fact, Kenan argues, in line 3 Isabel Menezes and Tatjana Zimenkova Journal of Social Science Education Editorial Volume 10, Number 4, 2011, pp. 3–4 with Seyla Benhabib, that not acknowledging the ten- cal approaches for global education and education for sion between (particularistic) citizenship rights and sustainable development in Germany. Following Nico- (universalistic) human rights can result in a disempo- la Humpert, Bettina emphasizes the tendency for an wering experience for young citizens, with no rela- “apolitical” global learning, that does not critically tionship to their real life experiences outside the evaluate the global agenda and politics, recognizing classroom – a topic especially relevant for citizenship not only the novel participation opportunities, but al- education practice in migration and multinational so- so “the exclusion