Learning, changing and doing – Critical citizenship through ecumenical exposure

Ian Nell

doi:10.17570/stj.2015.v1n2.a25

Abstract

Critical citizenship is becoming a very significant part of the educational pedagogy at Stellenbosch University relating to the vocational, personal and civic lives of the students and lecturers, focusing on critical and reflective thinking in what to learn, believe and do. Making use of the central concepts of critical citizenship as hermeneutical lenses, the main research question of this article is: “Does the exposure through ecumenical tours, as part of the programme in the Postgraduate Diploma in Theology in Christian Ministry, foster critical citizenship, and if so, in what ways?” The purpose of the article is therefore to take a closer look at one component of this specific programme and to see if, and in what ways, critical citizenship is embedded and fostered through aspects of ecumenical exposure. Factors at play in ecumenical exposure include the diversity of the student population, the content of the programme and, especially, the participatory and reflective practices of living faith communities. A pedagogical framework will be used to evaluate whether critical citizenship is enhanced through the ecumenical exposure of the programme.

Highlights

The Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University participated in a project on critical citizenship between 2012 and 2013.1 As part of the project, Nell STJ 2015, Vol 1, No 2, 531–549 an interdisciplinary group conducted qualitative empirical research through focus group interviews.2 A number of lecturers and students were identified and semi-structured interviews were held in two focus group meetings concerning the respondents’ perceptions of critical citizenship, and the ways in which and places where they see the notion operative in the programmes and curricula of the Faculty.3 The data of the research provide interesting perspectives on the contested nature of the notion, as is apparent from the following two quotes from a lecturer and a studeCritical citizenship would imply a certain critical loyalty
To answer the “if” and the “in what ways” of the research question concerning the development of critical citizenship; many more and different perspectives could be developed
The researcher is convinced that the integration of learning, changing and doing in terms of Bell’s model (2010) is of value to answer the question in a positive way and to affirm that critical citizenship education does take place during these ecumenical tours

Summary

Introduction

The Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University participated in a project on critical citizenship between 2012 and 2013.1 As part of the project,. A number of lecturers and students were identified and semi-structured interviews were held in two focus group meetings concerning the respondents’ perceptions of critical citizenship, and the ways in which and places where they see the notion operative in the programmes and curricula of the Faculty.. Concerning the graduate attributes, a University circular letter on the initiative describes them in the following way: an enquiring mind, an engaged citizen, a dynamic professional and a well-rounded individual. It is the first two attributes that have a direct connection with

These two attributes are described in the following way:

Terminological clarification

The history of the ecumenical tours

Components of the PGD programme

Processes facilitating critical citizenship education

Learning

Changing

Conclusion