Sixth Form Students' Perspectives of Citizenship Education in ‘A Small Island’ Context

Abstract

The island of Gozo is located just off the mainland island of Malta and is one of its constituencies. Gozo boasts of its own traditional characteristics which also include the particular Gozitan ‘dialect.’ Like other islands in the world, it has also been influenced by globalization. It has also been influenced by such changes as those brought about by Malta's accession to the EU in 2004 including a change in its currecy to the euro. This paper explores whether, in line with postmodern concepts, which do not tie life on islands to fixed notions of borders, nations, nationalities, culture and the language(s) spoken, as young people who live in Gozo, the Gozitan sixth formers have their own ideas about what ‘being Gozitan’ infers, and whether they believe that their schooling, alongside other agents of socialization, has led them to identify with Gozo.