Participation and Citizenship Education: Is the Citizen Free only during Parliamentary Elections? (original) (raw)

In view of the inevitable confusion brought about by the extreme complexity of the decision-making process, and widespread indifference towards the common weal, what form, and what degree of civic participation are we to expect from citizens? In order to begin to unravel this question, we will proceed in two directions: (1) We will first assert that, in the context of liberal democracies, which evolve continuously and inter-generationally, the promotion of individual rights and interests is not entirely discordant with the growth of certain participa- tory virtues. (2) Following this, we will bear witness to how improving the depth of the citizen's investment in the political field also means promoting, at school, the establishment of a strong program addressing civic edu- cation, and aiming at the enlargement of the future citizen's argumentative and critical capacities. This said, if the school is to socialize students, contribute to their autonomy and encourage dialogue...