Active Citizenship Research Articles

Analysing environmental opinion using highly customisable visualisation tools to understand citizens’ attitudes and barriers

Knowledge of public opinion is key to understanding citizens' attitudes towards environmental policies. However, large polls and surveys generate complex datasets from which it is not always easy to draw conclusions. In addition, tailor-made solutions for analysing public opinion face the challenge of handling too many layers of information, which can easily lead to an overwhelming user experience and impair decision-making. Service design methodologies can support the design of ad hoc visualisation tools focused on user needs. We present Op-e-nion, a case study of a visualisation tool for the analysis of public opinion regarding environmental issues, aimed at administrations and public institutions. The involvement of experts from different fields allowed for the identification of the main metrics necessary to target the least engaged socio-demographic groups as well as the barriers that limited their environmental actions. Experts also highlighted useful aspects of the design process and the final prototype to help them define more effective campaigns and policies to address social challenges and promote citizen action. An innovative step was introduced in the methodology by involving non-state actors in the evaluation of the tool, ensuring problem detection and enhancing the sustainability of the final product. Important aspects for the visualisation of multi-categorical data included simplifying the interaction with the tool while prioritising relevant information, and using highly customizable visualisations to answer specific user requirements and changing needs (i.e. analytical vs. managerial tasks). Improved visualisations of public opinion data will, in turn, better support the development of policies shaped by citizens’ concerns.

Actual practices of citizen participation in smart cities

This article attempts to explore the actual citizen participation practices. Scholarly articles on smart cities have investigated different aspects of the smart city paradigm. Despite increased scholarships on smart cities examining the citizen-centric claim, the praxis of citizen participation has not received much attention. Therefore, the aim of this article is to explore and understand the ‘actual practices’ of citizen participation in smart cities and how can an inclusive and equitable citizen participation can be ensured. Based on an in-depth review and analysis of secondary data, this article argues that enabling “active” involvement of citizenry through a rights-based approach can make citizen participation a worthwhile endeavor in the development process, which is equitable, inclusive and sustainable.

Activity Proposals to Improve Children’s Climate Literacy and Environmental Literacy

With the climate crisis, schools have a fundamental role to enrich children’s climate literacy, which should begin in their early years and continue for life. Developing activities in the classroom can be an excellent way of bringing this about. This work is part of a larger research project, during which a previous study was carried out with 245 children aged 9 to 13, in which we identified some limitations in their knowledge about climate change. Based on these results, we decided to present some proposals for activities that could help improve these children’s climate literacy. The study we conducted was of an exploratory character, and the main objective was to understand the impact of applying a set of activities to 54 children. The objectives of this work were to increase the climate literacy of the children involved—more specifically, to evaluate the impact of implementing three activities related to climate change and identify the knowledge about the cases and consequences of climate change that were acquired by the children involved. To collect the data, we used a focus group technique and content analysis to process it. The results revealed that the children acquired a better understanding of the problem of climate change—in particular, the causes and consequences of it and of the concept of the ecological footprint—as well as motivation to contribute to mitigating the problem. We conclude that the activities proposed could contribute to improving climate literacy, as well as stimulate children’s curiosity and proactivity so that they become citizens capable of exercising their active citizenship.

국내 대학에서의 봉사학습 연구 동향

Objectives This study reports on a review of research concerning service-learning in higher education in Korea over the past 22 years (from 2001 to 2022).
 Methods A total of 25 KCI-indexed empirical studies were analyzed in terms of their publication date, research methodology, service-learning characteristics, and research themes.
 Results The results indicate that research on service-learning in the context of Korean higher education was not widely conducted until the early 2010s; however, studies have significantly increased since the latter half of the 2010s. Qualitative research methodology emerged as the most popular method in examining the experiences of college students’ engagement in service-learning. In most of the reviewed studies, service-learning was im-plemented in a semester-long curricular-based format, with service hours varying from 16 to 48 hours. Students’ involvement in service-learning was found to be closely related to their personal, academic, and social growth.
 Conclusions Given that research on service-learning in higher education in Korea is in its infancy, more studies are needed, particularly those spanning diverse academic disciplines. These studies are crucial for achieving a comprehensive understanding of how service-learning experience contributes to Korean college students’ devel-opment as active citizens with social responsibility. The feedback on students’ reflection, promoted during the process of service-learning, warrants further investigation. This will enhance our understadning of the intricate relationship between reflection and successful learning via participation in service-learning.

Занятость, самозанятость и платформенная занятость граждан в свете законопроекта о занятости населения в Российской Федерации

The article presents an analysis of the Draft Law No. 275599-8 “On Employment in the Russian Federation” in terms of introducing new definitions of “employment”, “self-employment”, “platform employment” and other related provisions. Attention is focused on the fact that the purpose of the adoption of the Draft Law is to ensure employment, social guarantees and measures to support unemployed citizens. In this connection, the author substantiates the conclusion that the concepts of “self-employment” and “platform employment” established in the Draft Law cannot be the basic provisions that determine the main status of the persons who carry them out. The conclusion is made about the tendency to separate the modes of activity of citizens as individual entrepreneurs, self-employed persons, proposals are formulated to improve the legislation.

Reimagining Democracy: An Exploration of Anies Baswedan's "Desak Anies" Program

Global democracy is at a crossroads, amidst geopolitical turmoil and socioeconomic upheaval. Despite widespread support for democratic principles such as popular sovereignty and civic involvement, their practical implementation is frequently hampered by entrenched power dynamics and vested interests. Anies Baswedan's pioneering "Desak Anies" program in Indonesia takes a novel approach to democratic government, questioning traditional top-down methods and calling for active citizen participation in decision-making processes. This study, based on theoretical frameworks proposed by authors such as Dahl and Rousseau, investigates the Desak Anies initiative's complex impact. The study's qualitative research approaches, which include a literature review and content analysis observations, aim to provide thorough insights into Desak Anies' transformative potential in transforming democratic behaviors. The findings show that Desak Anies had a significant impact on youth empowerment, instilling a sense of agency and political efficacy in young Indonesians. Furthermore, the program has made a substantial contribution to improving community cohesiveness by giving a forum for varied views to be heard and respected. Desak Anies has ushered in a new era of governmental openness, with an emphasis on open data projects and citizen involvement, which promote accountability and trust in government institutions; establishes a new benchmark for democratic renewal and sustainability by leveraging grassroots mobilization and adopting inclusive policies, providing a replicable model for advancing democracy and fostering inclusive government on a global scale.

“Parties Are the Supreme Mentors of the Nation”: Appreciations for Parties and Partisanship in China, 1895–1920

Conventional narratives hold that parties are “the orphans of political philosophy” and that systematic normative justifications of parties and partisanship have emerged only in recent years in the West. This article aims to show that when antiparty sentiments were prevalent in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western societies, a systematic justification of party politics existed in China. Western antipartyism in that time shifted from an older accusation that parties were divisive and subversive to a “progressive antipartyism” that portrayed parties as elitist and antidemocratic “machines.” In China, however, although proparty intellectuals faced the first type of antipartyism, the “progressive” type was relatively absent, as there weren’t any mature party machines in the first place. Far from being a hindrance to democracy, parties comprised of public-spirited elites were justified as an instrument for political founding: transforming passive subjects under an imperial despotism into modern active citizens in a constitutional democracy.

Parallel lives or active citizens? Examining the interplay between multicultural service provision and civic engagement in Australia

Over recent decades, there have been increased public debates about rising level of ethnic and religious diversity and their implications for social cohesion and intercultural relations. These contestations are often situated within a diversity governance continuum with two opposing and often extreme poles both in the policy arena as well as the academic literature. The first pole sees diversity as potentially contributing to social fissures and intercultural discord. The second pole highlights the benefits of an acceptance of diversity for cross-cultural awareness and social peace. Using empirical evidence from a multi-year project, this article assesses the key assumptions underlying these oppositional approaches through a study of the provision of social services to multicultural communities and its association with civic engagement and national belonging. Study findings show that access to multicultural services is significantly associated with higher levels of civic engagement among migrants, rather than social exclusion and urban segregation.

The Demographic Factor in Shaping State Policy for Higher Education of Ukraine

The article examines key indicators of the demographic crisis in Ukraine, highlighting manifestations of the nation’s aging and natural population decline.It’s determined that understanding and analyzing the demographic situation allows for predicting changes in the size and structure of the student population, which is crucial for the effective development of higher education in Ukraine. Considering the trends of declining birth rates and an aging population, it is important to adapt admission strategies for students and educational programs accordingly. The examination of the demographic crisis helps identify key challenges, such as a decrease in the number of high school graduates, which can impact competition within the higher education environment.The trends examined in the article, including the decline in the birth rate of the Ukrainian population, the aging of the nation, the level of migration, and the loss of the civilian population due to the war, enable us to characterize the situation in Ukraine as depopulation. Notable changes in the demographic landscape and shifts in the population structure occurred after February 24, 2022, including irreversible human losses, population emigration (over 10 million people), and a decline in the average birth rate. A correlation was identified between the number of births each year and the dynamics of educational services’ capacity. It was observed that higher education in Ukraine will confront significant demographic challenges in the next 17 years. In the context of the strategic goal to restore Ukraine’s human capital, the article suggests viewing higher education as an effective instrument of state policy in a cyclical process: attaining higher education, integrating graduates into the national economy, ensuring financial stability, fostering active citizenship, and promoting loyalty to the state—all contributing to an improvement in the demographic situation.

Actors, alterations, and authorities: three observations of global policy and its transnational administration

Abstract This Special Issue and its seven contributions seek to shift the gaze of public policy scholarship toward the authorities, legitimacies, and influences of transnational actors on the creation and implementation of global policy and its transnational administration. It is, in large part, both a demonstration of the analytical and explanatory value of accounting for the influence of non-state actors on global issues as well as a normative reflection on what this means for already tenuous connections between publics and those that make decisions on their behalf in global forums. This Issue breaks with heterodox public policy approaches that center on the capabilities of states and international organizations to determine and to deliver global public policy and outcomes. Instead, we widen our gaze to capture the influence of transnational actors such as global commissions, transnational public–private partnerships, philanthropic foundations, non-government organization networks, domestic associations with global influence, quasi-judicial authorities, and global citizen activists. The articles discuss the impact of transnational actors on the policy and administrative spaces of global actors and states alike. By dispensing with the notion that the state and state-created international organizations are the primary locus for public policy and public administration scholarship, the included papers conclude with the implications for scholarship on transnational actor authorities and legitimacies.

Biographical-poetic journeys: A conversation with Yeison F. García López

Inspired by W. E. B. Du Bois’s notion of double consciousness, Yeison F. García López assumes multiple identities: Afro-Colombian and Afro-Spanish. This multiplicity allows García López to assert a politically active citizenship, articulated through his migrant journey, his Afro-descendant and Colombian heritage, and his connection with Madrid society. This conversation delves into how García López’s body of work as a poet, theorist, activist, and cultural agent contributes to an emerging Spanish, global, and transatlantic LatinX Latinity (LatinXness) from the Spanish capital. Overall, García López’s efforts shine a spotlight on Spain’s present-day plurality, highlighting the contributions of Africans and Afro-descendant people. He establishes connections among migrant communities of Latin American, Afro-descendant, and Asian origin as well as migrants from Eastern Europe descent, and Roma people and subverts Eurocentrism, colonialism, and white supremacy. García López’s publications and cultural initiatives serve as a platform to amplify the voices of Madrid’s migrant and racialized people, promoting culture as a form of resistance, healing, and empowerment.

THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY OF MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTING PUBLIC POLICY ON MANAGING SOCIAL CONFLICTS IN UKRAINE

In the article, the role of digital technologies in enhancing the efficiency of mechanisms implementing public policy for managing social conflicts in Ukraine is examined. The analysis underscores the importance of utilizing digital innovations, such as e-governance, mobile applications, and digital platforms, in fostering interaction between civil society and the government. The advantages of digital tools, including increased transparency, active citizen participation, and prompt response to social conflicts, are highlighted. Emphasis is placed on how the development of digital literacy in the population contributes to the implementation of innovations and the establishment of a sustainable mechanism for managing social conflicts in Ukraine. It is emphasized that Ukraine, with its multi-layered socio-cultural environment, faces unique challenges in the realm of social conflicts. Digital technologies, considering the peculiarities of the national context, can act as a catalyst for improving understanding among various social groups, providing broader access to information, and enabling the expression of diverse perspectives. In the conclusions of the article, the potential of digital technologies as tools for constructively resolving social conflicts and strengthening social coordination is highlighted. The importance of continued investments in digital infrastructure and programs for the development of digital literacy is underscored for the sustainable implementation of digital mechanisms for managing social conflicts in Ukrainian society.

Learning Crisis at Elementary School Level in India: Need for Systemic Interventions

Right to Education is considered to be empowering each and every child of the nation by bringing educational opportunity to their doorsteps. Developing countries have made tremendous progress in getting children into schools. But learning is not guaranteed. Evidences suggests that children who are in school are not learning the basics of literacy and numeracy or the additional knowledge and skills necessary for their all-round development as specified in the policies. An estimated 617 million children and adolescents around the world are unable to reach minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. Without foundational learning, students often fail to thrive later in school or when they join the workforce. World Bank also indicated that we are in the midst of a global learning crisis that threatens countries’ efforts to build human capital – the skills and know-how needed for the jobs of the future. This learning crisis is the greatest global challenge to preparing children and adolescents for life, work and active citizenship. In India also, where GER at elementary level is 100%, more than fifty percent of children are ‘learning poor’. This paper is an attempt to highlight the dynamics of the learning crisis in India in terms of its antecedents and repercussions. Further, evidence based systemic interventions have been proposed to eliminate the present and future crises, and ensure that every child learns.

Measuring corporate citizenship and public image: evidence from scale development and validation

PurposeThis study aims to measure the absolute impact of corporate citizenship actions on the operable elements of the public image by developing an adequate and parsimonious instrument.Design/methodology/approachBoth qualitative and quantitative approaches are used, where initially a literature review is systematized, then related statements are created, examined and confirmed. Altogether, 296 responses have been tested at discrete points, allowing for a temporal split-up of observations, where the first 148 forms have been used for exploratory factor analysis and the remaining 148 for confirmatory factor analysis.FindingsThe results of exploratory factor analysis revealed that the proposed instrument contains 13 items under three components: corporate citizenship and public affiliation; corporate citizenship and public allegiance; and corporate citizenship and public accomplishment. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis findings attest to the completeness, robustness and fitness of the same.Research limitations/implicationsThis experiment would serve as an inducement that would bridge the theoretical and empirical gap between corporate citizenship and public image by imparting an extensive perspective.Originality/valuePerhaps on account of the lack of an inclusive instrument, the holistic view of corporate citizenship has secured quite less empirical attention so far, particularly from the perception of that group of stakeholders who manifest wholeness. This study, thus by making a ground-breaking methodological endeavor with the conceptually established construct of public image, would abet in shaping a new class of “wholistic”, i.e. whole and holistic corporations.

Educating for a Just World: Empowering K-12 Students as Global Democratic Digital Citizens

Given the incredible growth in online activity since the global pandemic, there is a need for an updated approach to digital citizenship education that positions students as critical designers and producers who use their learning to inform, to support, and to offer opportunities for change in their communities. In this paper, we examine some of the recent conceptualizations of digital citizenship, human rights education, and global citizenship to identify their intersections and move toward the development of a Global Democratic Digital Citizenship framework for K-12 education. We argue that current frameworks target distinct skills and competencies that enable individualistic performance of global and digital citizenship actions but neglect the development of democratic characteristics and the ways in which these are mediated by digital technologies. Students must understand how to engage respectfully with others, make their voice heard, become interculturally intelligent, and act responsibly and democratically online. Citizenship entails participation in representative democracy; therefore, citizenship education must empower youth to actively engage in local and global democratic processes through both physical and digital channels.

The Evolution of Mako Brimob Kelapa Dua Depok Strategy in Security Ahead of the 2024 Elections from the Threat of Terrorism

Indonesia is a democratic country where general elections serve as a fundamental pillar in realizing democratic principles and act as a crucial mechanism ensuring active citizen participation in determining their representatives. Given the significance of the election moment as a pivotal point in Indonesia's political dynamics, it brings about a vulnerable risk of security disturbances, including terrorism threats. Indonesia bears a significant presence of terrorism, ranking third in the Asia-Pacific region according to the Global Terrorism Index 2023. The aim of this research is to elucidate the evolution of security strategies implemented by Mako Brimob Kelapa Dua Depok in facing terrorism threats related to the 2024 elections. The research method employed is qualitative, utilizing theories of security intelligence, social construction, and terrorism concepts. The results indicate that the 2024 General Election in Indonesia is a crucial political event, with a primary focus on anticipating terrorism threats due to the perceived intense political dynamics, increased political polarization, fierce competition among political parties, and extensive use of social media. Forms of terrorism leading up to the election include physical attacks, cyber-attacks, voter intimidation, and potential political conflicts. Security intelligence strategies in facing terrorism have evolved to involve prevention, intervention, and recovery. Strategic steps include establishing specialized intelligence agencies, technological advancements, and inter-agency collaboration. The evolution of security strategies related to the 2024 elections encompasses increased intelligence activities, enhanced intervention capabilities, and preparation for post-terrorism recovery. Special task forces, specialized equipment procurement, and collaboration with various stakeholders demonstrate Mako Brimob's efforts to enhance responses to terrorism threats

Features of the Concept for the Development of Pension Legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic

The article is devoted to the generally significant legislative policy of the state in the field of social security; The legal, organizational and financial foundations of the functioning of the system and the reform of pension legislation as a special area of social protection of citizens’ pension rights are considered. The purpose of the authors’ research task is to attempt to assess certain aspects of the legal policy pursued by the Kyrgyz Republic in the context of promoting structural reforms in the field of pension legislation, in particular the development of phased conceptual programs to improve well-being and maintain a decent standard of living for citizens applying for and possessing pension rights. The object of the study was social relations related to the implementation of the state’s legal policy in the field of pension legislation. The subject of the study is a set of rules regulating the legal mechanism of the activities of state and partly non-state mechanisms for the implementation of social policy in the field of pension rights. The research methods represent a dialectical method of cognition of socio-legal phenomena, formal-logical and structural-functional. The authors conclude that the measures taken in the republic in the field of optimization of pension legislation have a certain positive effect on the state of personal security, including increasing a decent standard of living, the well-being of the state, and the social and legal activity of citizens.

Have a little faith in deliberation? Examining the effect of participation in a citizens’ assembly on populist attitudes

ABSTRACT Democratic innovations scholars note that deliberation has the potential to counteract populism. However, so far, we do not know what the theoretical foundation would be to expect such an effect, nor do we know to what extent the supposed effect actually materialises empirically. This study adds to the literature by offering a theoretical framework and by testing this framework empirically. Specifically, we examine to what extent citizens with a high degree of populist attitudes became less populist after participating in a deliberative event. We study an actual citizens' assembly on climate mitigation policy in the Netherlands via pre- and post-surveys and carry out an SEM analysis (N = 105). We find that citizens with a higher degree of populist attitudes do become less populist, but find no evidence that this is due to the (perceived quality of the) deliberation. At the same time, the climate skeptics who participated became more populist.

Justice in Achievement Matters: The Fairness of Educational Opportunities and Active Citizenship

Unlike existing research which has focused mainly on the effects of educational attainment and curricula on active citizenship, the present article aims to study the relationship of subjective assessment regarding the fairness of people’s educational opportunities and their active social engagement, and how this relationship is embedded in different social environments. Theoretically, the analysis is based on the view of active citizenship as a multidimensional and domain-specific phenomenon. It is also inspired by the capability approach’s understanding of the opportunity aspect of freedom and the importance of fairness of opportunities and processes. Empirically, our study uses a multilevel linear regression model to analyse data from the European Social Survey 2018 for 29 countries. We develop a scale of active citizenship with four domains: political, social, workplace, and democratic values. Our findings show that a higher perceived unfairness of educational opportunities is associated with lower levels of active citizenship. They also reveal that although there is a negative relationship between the perceived unfairness of people’s opportunities to receive a desired level of education and their active citizenship, it is mitigated when people are living in high-trust societies and in countries which are more economically and democratically developed.

Analisis Peran Persepsi Mahasiswa Mengenai Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Dalam Memajukan Ekonomi

This research uses a case study method approach to analyze student perceptions about citizenship education and its impact on economic progress. Citizenship education is an important component in the development of individuals as responsible citizens, and has the potential to influence a country's economic sector. In this research, we conducted surveys and interviews with students from various backgrounds and majors at a university. The data obtained revealed diverse perceptions about citizenship education and how understanding of social and political issues influences their views about individual contributions to economic progress. The results of this research can provide valuable insight into the role of citizenship education in shaping students' thinking about economic progress and how such education can be improved to more effectively prepare students to become active and productive citizens in driving the country's economic growth. This research also identifies the potential for collaboration between educational institutions and the economic sector to advance a more effective and relevant citizenship education agenda.