Physical education and citizenship: More than just the creation of the “personally responsible” body?

Abstract

Citizenship An increased number of writers today point to a set of unprecedented challenges and wicked problems that are facing society (Bolstad, 2011). Alongside this perceived rapid and pervasive social change is an emphasis on utilising education as a tool to prepare young people to engage with 21st century challenges. To complicate matters further, this argument has been paralleled with burgeoning academic, political and public debates concerning the number of young people who are being identified as disaffected in society (Sandford, Armour, & Warmington, 2006). As such, it is no surprise that we are seeing an increased interest in the potential of citizenship education as a response to some of these perceived challenges within our schooling system. Schooling is a national project and a practice of the state. Citizenship in this environment, therefore, can be viewed as a political process preparing young people for adulthood (Gordon, 2006). Similarly, Barr (2005) summarises the term citizenship as follows: Citizenship has traditionally been defined in terms of communities in general and in terms of the nation state in particular. Citizens' social, political, economic, and linguistic identities have generally been formed within states. This process has always involved more than just legal status; the term 'citizen' also suggests particular attitudes and values towards the state and fellow citizens. Citizenship then embodies the ideals that represent what a citizen ought to be and how he or she ought to live in order to enjoy the rights that the states bestow on their citizens. (p. 56) Therefore, citizenship should be recognised as a multidimensional, contested concept. Gilbert (1996) views citizenship education as a broad and encompassing term which may include aspects such as citizenship as a status implying formal rights and duties; citizenship as an identity and a set of moral and social virtues; citizenship as public practice; and citizenship as participation in decision making in all aspects of life. How people shape themselves in order to participate in society and also how they interact with, and shape, their communities and societies as an effect of this is a key focus of citizenship education. Citizenship education in New Zealand Results from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, 2010) indicate that citizenship education in New Zealand has generally been considered effective when compared with many other countries. This is interesting to note considering that, unlike many other countries, citizenship education does not exist as a separate subject within The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) and Social Sciences is the only learning area that refers specifically to the term in its curriculum. Instead, as can be seen in the excerpts below, citizenship education in New Zealand can be viewed as a broad-based topic that is embedded in the principles, vision, values and key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007): Figure 1: Excerpts taken from The New Zealand Curriculum Principles The curriculum encourages students to look to the future by exploring such significant future focused issues as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise and globalization. (p. 9) Vision [O]ur vision is for young people ... who, in their school years will continue to develop the values, knowledge and competencies that will enable them to live full and satisfying lives ... members of communities ... international citizens ... actively involved ... participants in a range of life contexts ... contributors to the well-being of New Zealand--social, cultural, economic and environmental. (p. 8) Values ... community and participation for the common good is associated with values and notions such as peace, citizenship and manaakitanga. …