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Civic Engagement Advantages

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Civic engagement is an important topic as there seems to be a conflict between advocates of civic engagement in higher learning and those who oppose the addition of civic engagement in schools and universities. Since youth are active in their local communities more than ever and they shape the future of their respective societies, this essay will argue that civic engagement is critical and widely beneficial for students’ development (Cantor, 1995). Civic engagement is defined as the “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern” (Carpini, 2001). Civic engagement can take many forms, from volunteering as an individual to organizational involvement to participating in elections. It encompasses the efforts to directly tackle an issue, collaborating with others in a group to solve a problem or cooperating with the establishments of representative democracy. Smith (2009) states that there is an increased usage of the internet and social media by people to voice opinions and incite a change in societies; there are …show more content…

“Stanley Fish attempts to provide support for his argument through claiming that character cannot be taught and that civic responsibility is not learnt in a classroom; however his claims do not subdue the various benefits of civic engagement in universities and he does not mention how freedom of expression and engaging in community activities would impair the students or the university’s performance. His shortage of sufficient support leads to the eventual breakdown of the points of view he is trying to convey.” Everyone can become a more engaged citizen through simple acts such as volunteering for a noble cause on weekends; it is these kind of actions that brings a community together for the improvement of themselves as individuals and as a whole group, and eventually, the achievement of the greater

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By combining Allen’s and Chamber’s ideas we can strengthen the way in which political education can promote these values. However, Chambers also raises important critiques of the current system of citizenship and democracy, which may limit the effectiveness of Allen's approach. One of Chambers' main critiques is that citizenship currently has exclusionary and unequal bounds. She argues that citizenship is often exclusive to certain demographics, which results in the exclusion of some groups from political participation and influence. So Allen’s reformation of political education which emphasizes democratic participation may strengthen these inequalities rather than challenge them.

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“But there is something else at work here, in the outsized enthusiasm for social media. Fifty years after one of the most extraordinary episodes of social upheaval in American history, we seem to have forgotten what activism is” (Gladwell 44). Gladwell strongly feels that the internet has created this loss of social activism in the world, in which the internet has redefined what protesting used to stand for. Protests during the civil rights movement, was a method for people to bring about change, but since the creation of the internet people use it as a way to replace protesting. Carr believes that the internet creates a loss of reading while Gladwell thinks it creates a loss of the meaning of social activism.

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By not allowing students to develop their own ideas and receive the education they need and deserve, the entire society will suffer from an undereducated population. Anne Neal ’s thesis can be applied to any courses taken at Brazosport College, or any college. If our government class was not allowed to learn about all the controversial subjects that government entails, we would all most likely leave the class knowing no more than when we began.

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Carr writes, “ I'm just seeking convenience, but because that way I THINK has changed”(33). For him, the internet is a way for him to access information quicker than using a book, or any other medium. This constant use of the internet has altered his thought process, in which he now it is easier for him to use the internet rather than reading a book. When writing about how the web has brought about change, Gladwell claims, “ Where activists were once defined by their causes, they are now defined by their tools. Facebook warriors go online to push for change (43).”

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“One in eight Americans exhibits Internet behavior that interferes with daily life and healthy relationships. That’s about 12% of the country” (Conrad). In this constant presence of technology, it is becoming more and more difficult for us as Americans to think for ourselves, which can be a way for the government to demand that we to conform to their ideals. Many times, technology in the form of social media and government propaganda will influence the audience about what to think with regards to significant matters, including politics, free thought, and political correctness. For example, a celebrity on a social media platform might express his or her opinion regarding a widespread issue, but does so in a way to disconcert others who feel the opposite.

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Dr. Lu Young Kentucky Board of Education Chair 300 Sower Blvd., 5th Floor Frankfort, KY 40601 Dear Dr. Lu Young, I’m Andy Wan, an eighth-grade student attending Rachel Carson Middle School in Fairfax, Virginia. Today, this letter is sent to you to share my thoughts on the importance of civics education. During my civics class this year, I have learned various reasons why civics is a crucial part of our lives. Additionally, we are taught that it is critical for American citizens to learn about the effects of the government on their lives, as well as how the government operates.

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The value of service-learning is based on two main dimensions, which are normative and pedagogical effectiveness. The focus of this study is on the pedagogical effectiveness dimension and how service-learning provides unique experiences and situations where the students must adapt, which is the “essence of the impact or active ingredient” for learning in this format (8). Service-learning encourages students to obtain more responsibility and are given more opportunities to view education as an “evolving process” instead of an “end product” (8). Through reflection, students develop and challenge their skills of critical thinking and connects them to a common goal with the community that promotes their “affective, civic, social, and cognitive development” (8). Proponents say there are many advantages for this type of learning including: allowing students to become participants instead of passive “sponges,” and expanding the limits of the classroom to the outside world allowing students to participate in the community.

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Although social media can be powerful for voicing opinions and thoughts to a wide variety of people within minutes, it does not involve strong-tie connections and therefore results with less participates interested in the commitment and high risks necessary to catalyze a

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(Bennett 2004) Furthermore, it has been proposed by Kahne and Middaaugh (2006) that in order to teach students civic responsibility that there needs to be a strong educational plan established in areas of history and government that create situations where students have to interact and discuss civic responsibilities since statistics indicate a decline in citizenship

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The special characteristic of the activism associated with social media is that it can “[make] it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact”

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Defining Civic Engagement “In recent years, a chorus of critics and educators has expressed alarm about the disengagement of young people generally from politics and public affairs in the United States” (Boyte). Perhaps because civic engagement has become synonymous with a run for Senate. Perhaps because we are trying to measure the comprehension of political affairs in the minds of children. Or maybe we overlook the fact that in confining civic engagement to that which consists of voter participation and all things electoral in nature, we isolate a large and important audience. When I think of civic engagement I think of a reform in mindset, rather than an actual reform in law.

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Democracy is a system of government in which the power to govern is vested on the citizens. This power is exercised either directly wherein citizens reach a consensus to implement policies, or indirectly through the election of representatives who will act on behalf of the citizen's interest (Janda, Berry, Goldman, and Hula, 2012). In such states that have adapted democratic government, political participation is the hallmark of citizens' right and ability to exercise their power. The definition of political participation, as with all concepts of social sciences, is subject to debate since most social science concepts are subject to the changing norms of society and government. Thus, this paper defines political participation as a social phenomenon that takes on different forms which is used by citizens to influence government policies and politics.

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Stakeholders have an interest in an organisation and they are affected by all decisions and actions taken by an organisation to attain its objectives. Stakeholders can be internal or external to the organisation. Stakeholder relationships are categorised in to the following four categories participative, collaborative, informative and defending. (Anon., 2017) Stakeholder engagement is a process of engaging with the relevant stakeholders (Morphy, 2015-2017). Stakeholder engagement is about addressing problems by providing strategies, infrastructure and processes.

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Civic participation is essential to the overall health of our nation. A citizen being involved in the government dates back to the origins of our country and have withstood the test of time. Today we are facing record low civic engagement that has created a breeding ground for disgust and distrust between the citizens and the government. The gap between government decision makers and society is growing daily and change is needed to bridge this gap immediately. Many people feel as though they are not represented by the government as a whole or by their elected officials.

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First of all, providing more civic educations by primary schools and secondary schools are needed. Civic education is very important to the students; it helps students to build up a correct system of value, attitude and sense of citizenships (Tse, 1997). In order to help students to build up positive moral values especially focusing the appropriate behaviors, schools should arrange more civic education to the students. Nowadays in Hong Kong, most of the schools mainly focus on the academic results of the students due to the mainstream’s value in Hong Kong is getting a well-paid job in their future as a success. But the schools neglect the moral values of the students as they think there is nothing important than the academic results of the students, the civic education will not consider as a syllabus of learning.

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