Abstract
The place of religion and how it should be employed in education for citizenship is currently an issue in Europe. The challenges of increasing diversity are the underlying factors. The conception of maximal citizenship (a critical model of citizenship) gives a significant framework for analysis and scholarly perspectives about several European contexts on this matter. However, there is hardly maximal citizenship in Finnish contexts in scholarship. Hence, this work searches for the elements of maximal citizenship in educational policy for young people by employing the policy relating to citizenship in Finnish religious education (RE). Focusing on grades 7–9 of basic education, its primary data is based on selected national policy documents. The data were analysed using critical discourse analysis. The main findings suggest that citizenship in Finnish RE is only somewhat compatible with the characteristics of maximal citizenship. This reveals some policy shortcomings that could negatively affect the potential of critical-mindedness of young people and equal opportunities in a democracy. Hence, some suggestions that could improve the situation are embedded in the paper. Nevertheless, a linguistic conception of citizenship in Finland vis-à-vis a recent development in national educational policy seems to push the conception of maximal citizenship in a relatively new direction. Furthermore, an explicit use of the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” in Finnish curriculum broadens our conception of maximal citizenship in general. Moreover, while scholars agree that maximal citizenship is essentially “critical”, this piece suggests that every “critical” approach to citizenship education is not necessarily “maximal”.
Highlights
This study focuses on grades 7–9 of basic education4 in relation to the school subject under investigation
The article subsequently gives a summary of its major findings, a further reflection on the analysis of the policies and a discussion on how this work attempts to advance the discourse on maximal citizenship beyond the context under investigation
The feasibility of global citizenship relating to the conception of maximal citizenship could be stunted. This case research somewhat advances the discourse on maximal citizenship in relation to human rights. This seems so, as this paper reveals the need for explicit mentioning of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child in Finnish religious education (RE) curriculum in terms of maximal citizenship
Summary
Education for citizenship could be used to stimulate and enhance young people’s engagement with the political process or to promote social cohesion in a diverse society McLaughlin’s maximal citizenship approach promotes education about religious beliefs in public or liberal education with a view to promoting justice and producing critical citizens in a democratic and diverse society (McLaughlin 1992). Miedema and Avest (2011) and Miedema (n.d.) lean on the minimalist-maximalist theory of McLaughlin (1992) They suggest that Dutch students’ personal religious identity could be developed and strengthened through the combination of citizenship education and RE. 74) suggested that this “tripartite intertwinement” could be strengthened with McLaughlin (1992) maximal citizenship education This will meet the communal, liberal and justice demands of citizenship amidst diversity as it emphasizes active learning and inclusion with critical, dialogical and interactive perspectives A minimalist view of ta‘dib places the Muslim community above others (Waghid 2014, p. 337)
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