Young people’s understanding of responsible citizenship

It is not controversial to say that citizenship as a singular term can be complicated to explain. This difficulty can even be traced back to Aristotle who claimed it was unlikely to find one single explanation for the concept that everyone would agree on (Leydet, 2009). ‘Citizenship’ is therefore often approached through different contexts, such as the liberal and republican perspectives stemming from Aristotle’s time. When explaining citizenship today, however, one should both address it through the formal requirements of state membership, and as a multilevel concept where role understanding, duties and rights, and sense of belonging to different groups are more important. Examples of the latter kind of citizenships include radical, feminist, sexual, multicultural, Aboriginal, political, cultural, global, ecological, and cosmopolitan citizenship (see i.e., Isin & Turner, 2002). Regardless of the struggle to define the concept, citizenship education is in high demand, and national curriculums reflect a desire for involved, critical and responsible citizens, who would be able and willing to support and develop the nation’s democratic culture and institutions (see i.e., the Norwegian general curriculum). After completing all compulsory social science classes, how do pupils in Norway understand responsible citizenship? How does a responsible citizen behave and think? To address these questions, I will present preliminary findings based on data collected for my PhD monograph. Through a 14-page work-booklet based on didactic principles, 163 upper secondary school pupils in social science classes in Norway have expressed their views on responsible citizenship through a series of varied qualitative and quantitative tasks. Through their frequently elaborate answers, the respondents have provided a valuable insight into what they perceive are the most important acts of responsible citizenship, how a responsible citizen should think, and what kind of values and virtues responsible citizens should possess.