Civic Elements Research Articles

Decoding Ethnic (Multi-National) Federalism: Its Influence on Conflict Dynamics and Sustainable Peace in Ethiopia

Since its introduction in Ethiopia, the benefits of ethnic federalism in addressing diversity, reducing tensions, and promoting sustainable peace have been debated. On the one hand, ethnic federalism recognizes the authority and right of ethnic groups and identities to self-governance. On the other hand, the country’s federalism has given some ethnic groups a greater advantage over others, even though they have long coexisted in the area and consider themselves owners of the ethnic homeland. The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of ethnic federalism on conflict dynamics and sustainable peace in Ethiopia. Centripetalism theory was employed to examine the impact of ethnic federalism on conflict dynamics and sustainable peace in Ethiopia. A qualitative research approach with a descriptive case study was applied, and interview and document analysis were used to collect data. A purposive and convenience sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The collected data was analyzed thematically. Even though the study’s finding shows mixed results, a significant majority of participants indicated that ethnic federalism has contributed to conflict and affected sustainable peace by exacerbating ethnic divisions, ethnic extremism, competitions among groups, and conflictual inter-regional relations, making some second-class citizens in a territory they consider their homeland. Hybrid federalism (a combination of both ethnic and civic elements) with emphasis on the people’s agreement is recommended as Ethiopia’s best government system.

The combination application of Civic Education and Big Data Internet Technology based on the background of college education reform

Abstract To explore the combined application of Civic Education and big data Internet technology in the context of college education reform. In this paper, based on big data Internet technology, a mining analysis algorithm - K-means clustering algorithm is proposed, and after combining Civic Education and K-means algorithm, the ideological evaluation indexes of Civic Education application, i.e., Civic Education course construction basis, Civic Education course structure configuration, Civic Education course implementation process and Civic Education course gaining Effectiveness of four indicators examples as experiments, as a way to verify the data mining analysis ability of K-means clustering algorithm. The experimental results show that for the four index instances of Civic Education and K-means clustering algorithm, the C-level and above evaluation of Civic Education curriculum construction foundation is 75.42%, the C-level and above evaluation of Civic Education curriculum structure configuration is 81.78%, the C-level and above evaluation of Civic Education curriculum implementation process is 76.78%, and the C-level and above evaluation of Civic Education curriculum obtaining effect is 92.68%, among which A-level evaluation even reached 48.89%. This shows that the combination of Civic Education and Big Data Internet technology can better explore the Civic elements in Civic Education; moreover, it can provide guiding reform direction for Civic Education and add bricks to promote the Civic thoughts of college students. This also expands the application field of big data Internet technology so that more research fields can enjoy the dividends brought by technology development.

Exploration and practice of combining theoretical teaching and practical teaching to implement course Civics in the context of big data--Take “Microbial Pharmaceutical Technology” as an example

Abstract To better cultivate talents in the direction of “Microbiological Pharmaceutical Technology”. In this paper, we first mine the Civic Elements from the Microbial Pharmaceuticals course with the help of a clustering algorithm and calculate the similarity between data objects by Euclidean distance. Secondly, the Apriori algorithm is applied to find the largest set of frequent items in the data set of Civic Science elements and analyze them. Then the ID3 decision tree is used to calculate the information gain involving conditional entropy and information entropy, and then the data are classified. Based on the above algorithm, a Civics teaching platform combined with theoretical and practical teaching is constructed. Finally, to verify that the platform constructed in this paper achieves the combination of theoretical teaching and practical teaching, a set of simulation experiments is designed in this paper, taking “Microbial Pharmaceutical Technology” as an example, and the results show that applying the Civics Teaching Platform to the microbial pharmaceutical course, the number of teachers Civics teaching elements mining increases from 14 to 22, and the ability of Civics elements mining increases significantly. Thus, it can be seen that the implementation of the Civic Government teaching platform based on the big data algorithm of the course has improved the teaching ability of teachers and is conducive to the realization of the talent cultivation goal of the course “Microbial Pharmaceutical Technology”.

EU tourism and student identities in a pre-BREXIT UK

The EU has long advocated cultural tourism to construct a shared, supranational European identity. Drawing on data collected prior to the UK Brexit referendum, the paper compares EU discourse in selected tourism policy documents, and the travel experiences of young European university students attending a UK university. Findings illustrate how the EU's proclivity towards top-down policies that harness heritage tourism to construct a supranational identity, risks alienating large sections of the European population. Instead, stressing citizenship and the civic elements of identity through a range of tourism-related activities, enables the creation of bottom-up, contemporary, and co-created supranational identities. Moreover, there is scope to consider heritage tourism's expedience within contemporary debates which acknowledge the complexities of European and other supranational identities.

Nativism and second-generation migrants in Greece: differentiating between ethnic and civic elements of citizenship

ABSTRACT The Greek citizenship model, for its biggest part, has been on the ethnocultural path. In 2010, the ethnocultural character of Greek citizenship became antagonized by Law 3838/2010. According to the law, migrant children born or schooled in the country had an automatic right to the acquisition of Greek citizenship. This paper investigates parliamentary and legal debates on citizenship during the period 2009–2015. It brings to the fore a nativist (ethnicized) discourse and other linked stories, which were voiced by certain political actors and promoted a clear differentiation between ethnic and civic elements of Greek citizenship. Accordingly, migrant children born or schooled in the country could acquire the civic elements of Greek citizenship but not the ethnic ones. The enactment of these discourses can be seen as a manifestation of nativism within an increasingly nationalistic political landscape under conditions of intense economic crisis.

One country two systems: a comparative study of national identity between Hong Kong and Macau

Drawing from dual attachment theory, this study utilizes newly released survey data to investigate issues regarding the national identity in Hong Kong and Macau that are governed under the “one country, two systems” principle. In both cities, we found a strong affinity for the local identity among the young generations, and a more balanced coexistence of both the local and the Chinese identities for the elder generations; there was a rejection of the Chinese identity for the young generation in Hong Kong. We argue that both civic and cultural elements are influential factors in shaping an individual’s identity, and that there is evidence of a complementing dual attachment; however, the complementary relationship becomes incompatible if generational differences are considered, suggesting that the dual attachment framework does not sufficiently address the issue of national identity for the young generation in Hong Kong.

Language movements in Sri Lanka and Pakistan: exploring global conflicts of language and cultural rights with other human rights

ABSTRACT By following Johann Gottfried Herder's cultural nationalism, the paper illustrates the centrality of languages in the formation of modern nation states. Herder further enables us to comprehend the significance of a common cultural core for national unity; the negative role of uniformity that leads to exclusionary policies; and the development of dissension into armed conflicts among ethnicities and nations. Thus, Herder reveals that linguistic nationalism takes the dangerously ethnic turn when its civic elements are not properly utilised. Through Herder's method, I demonstrate the cause of conflict between language and cultural rights and other human rights. For this, I examine why the peoples of Sri Lanka and undivided Pakistan defined themselves primarily in ethnic terms during decolonisation and in religio-linguistic terms after independence. By comparing the 1930s’ Sri Lankan vernacular (Swabasha) movement with the language movement (Bhasha Andolon) of 1952 in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), I delineate the nature of challenges that marginalised peoples face regarding their cultural rights in decolonised societies. Since the societies require clear directions for nurturing ethnic cooperation, I suggest that the strategic aspects of Herder's idealism can pave the way for this.

National Identity Expressed in Chinese and Korean Clothing

The purpose of the study is to observe historically national identity expressed in Chinese and Korean Clothing. The literature review and the case study both in China and South Korea were conducted at the same time. The outcomes from the studies are as follow: National identity has been reflected in clothing mainly via the adoption of ethnic elements and civic elements. Chinese and Korean visible-symbolized ethnic elements are from their traditional arts, costumes and lifestyles, invisible-spiritual ethnic elements mainly from religious philosophy. But the Korean wave, which is the modern ethnic invisible-spiritual element, is growing popular all over the world. Chinese and Korean visible-symbolized political elements refer to national or governmental sign, marks or national logo. The invisible-spiritual political elements contain the specific political atmosphere. Chinese are Socialism and anti-capitalism. Meanwhile Korean are Patriotism, Collectiveness, anti-communism and Military ideology. It provides a comprehensive and complete theoretical background for investigating how national identity has been shown in China and Korea’s past and current fashion. It is expected to promote the diversified development of both Chinese and Korean clothing design expression in the future.

Israeli and Polish Policies toward Returning Residents as a Reflection of Nationhood

AbstractThis study focuses on Poland and Israel, both commonly classified as ethnic nation‐states, and aims to question the expression of ethnic–civic dichotomy in return‐migration policies. Policy documents in each country were analysed and complemented by interviews with policymakers and representatives from relevant organizations. Our analysis reveals that, although there are differences in their policies toward returning residents and in the related programmes in both countries, Israeli and Polish policies include both ethnic and civic components. Therefore, our study supports Joppke's (2005) argument that there is no purely civic or ethnic nationalism and there can be no purely civic or ethnic nation. We show that the proportion of ethnic and civic elements may change over time; thus, our findings contribute to the growing literature pointing to the dynamic nature of nationalism.

Redrawing symbolic boundaries after Maidan: identity strategies among Russian-speaking Ukrainians

ABSTRACT In the context of conflict between Ukraine and Russia and increasing polarisation, symbolic boundaries between the two spaces are shifting. Here I investigated the themes and strategies of border-construction between the concepts of ‘Ukrainianness’ and ‘Russianness’ through everyday acts of communication of Russian-speaking Ukrainians. The article utilises materials of 14 in-depth interviews with Russian speakers from various Ukrainian regions (2018). The results show that the polarisation and hardening of borders between Ukraine and Russia prompted two responses: acceptance vs. negotiation/denial. The underlying tension behind opposing border-narratives was caused by the competition between ethnic and civic elements for the dominance in the national identity discourse.

The meaning of being German: An inductive approach to national identity

Germany is often cited as a paradigmatic case for an ethnic model of nationalism but in recent years introduced many civic elements into its citizenship policies. The goal of the current article is to explore how German citizens construct their national identity against this backdrop. Using an inductive approach, we asked 987 German citizens to describe what being German means for them. A latent class analysis of content-coded responses revealed four classes: a heritage-based identity class with a strong focus on language and culture (39%), an ideology-based identity class that revolves around democracy, welfare, freedom, and economy and safety (19%), a legal-formalistic identity class that is mostly concerned with the legal requirement for obtaining and holding citizenship of national identity (26%), and a trait-based identity class describing personality-traits that are supposed to be typical for Germans (16%). These findings expand upon and add nuance to the commonly used civic vs. ethnic national identity content typology.

Greek citizenship tradition in flux? Investigating contemporary tensions between ethnic and civic elements of nationality

Although the Greek citizenship tradition has contained both ethnic and civic elements all along, up until recently, at least according to the existing literature, it has replicated the geographical logic of a European divide between the East (ethnic) and West (civic). Lately, this tradition has been in flux as it appears to be moving along and changing positions across a hypothetical citizenship axis running along the two constitutional poles of nationality: ethnic descent and civic community. This paper attempts to shed light on this tradition in transit by bringing to the fore contemporary tensions between ethnic and civic elements of citizenship. More specifically, these ongoing frictions have been mostly manifested in the ever-changing conditionality of the terms of acquisition of Greek citizenship by second- and “one-and-a-half” generation migrant children. Most importantly, these antagonisms between an ethnicized (ethnic) citizenship and a politicized (civic) nationality became discursively played out within the arena of migrant integration discourse. However, one question remains: What can the Greek case tell us about the broader politics of citizenship and belonging in Europe and beyond?

OSNOVNE DEMOGRAFSKE ODLIKE UGARSKE PREMA POPISU STANOVNIŠTVA IZ 1910. GODINE

Apstrakt: Predmet istraživanja bio je opšti popis stanovništva Ugarske iz 1910. g., a cilj da se na osnovu rezultata popisa prikažu osnovne demografske značajke stanovništva. Sem sadržajnosti popisa važna je činjenica, da se radi o najsavremenijem ugarskom popisu, koji je ujedno bio i poslednji pred njen raspad 1920. godine. Popis je simultano vršen u celoj Austrougarskoj. Autor je posebnu pažnju posvetio teritorijama današnje Vojvodine. Pri izradi studije korišćeni su prvenstveno sumarni i detaljni rezultati popisa za Ugarsku, podaci za austrijske krunovine, kao i relevantna stručna literatura. Pri obradi podataka upotrebljene su osnovne statističke metode, a u prezentaciji rezultata dijagrami, tabele i jedna karta. Popis oslikava Ugarsku u razvoju, uz rast stanovništva, sa dinamičnim migratornim kretanjima, sve izraženijim procesom urbanizacije, jačanjem građanskih elemenata društva i procesa industrijalizacije, rastom obrazovnog nivoa, određenim promenama u etničkoj strukturi i slično. Uz to, uočene su pojave koje su zabrinjavale savremenika: snažna ekonomska emigracija i rast broja porodica s jednim detetom – odnosno smanjenje nataliteta u odnosu na prethodna vremena. Popis iz 1910.g. je vanredno vredan istorijski izvor za izučavanje demografske, društvene i privredne istorije Vojvodine i Ugarske u doba dualizma (1867-1918).

Civic veterans: the public culture of military associations in inter-war Glasgow

ABSTRACTThis article examines the public culture of military associations, and their veteran membership, in inter-war Glasgow. It follows their parades and beery reunions to consider the public meanings of such acts. That these claims to civic recognition were met by a congregation of civic elements allows us to view the inter-war creation of civic identity from a new and enlightening vantage point. But this culture also allows us to encompass the vitality, and distinctly urban character, of the memory of the Great War within inter-war society. Cities provided alternative channels for the veteran associational impulse to the British Legion, which has generally been seen as synonymous with the veterans’ movement in Britain. War memory, too, had a distinct urban form and character that needs to be acknowledged within wider literature. This is the story of the ‘civic veteran’ and the social and cultural contexts that made him.

Citizenship and Education Policies in the Post-Yugoslav States

This paper explores interactions between citizenship and education policies in six post-Yugoslav contexts, focusing on group and individual education rights, ethnocentric, multicultural and civic elements of citizenship in education policies, and the extent to which they encourage inclusive or exclusive concepts of citizenship. These interactions are explored by looking at education system structures, language and curricula policies. Universal and consociation education systems have been distinguished, with the ethnocentric and exclusive citizenship concepts reflected in the context-dependent status of different minorities, and in the uses of education to perpetuate dominant ethnic groups at different levels. Inclusive elements have been recognised in relation to the improving status of the Roma minority in education. A number of minority language instruction options, mostly available as a group right, reflect multicultural approaches to linguistic and cultural rights in education, although ethnocentric motives can be discerned behind their territorial implementation. Civic elements have been recognised in the introduction of civic education as curricular units, but ethnocentric ones prevail in other relevant school subject curricula, textbooks, and especially in hidden curricula precluding intercultural contact. The emphasis on group rights is strong, while monitoring non-discrimination and protection of individual human rights is scant.

Os usos do civismo em tempos autoritários: as comemorações e ações do Conselho Federal de Cultura (1966-1975)

O Conselho Federal de Cultura (CFC) foi o principal órgão responsável pelas políticas culturais entre 1967 e 1975. O CFC era formado por 24 intelectuais com o objetivo de organizar o setor cultural e elaborar o inédito Plano Nacional de Cultura. A criação do Conselho está integrada à participação desses intelectuais no campo político e cultural brasileiro desde a década de 1920. Além disso, seus discursos e projetos incorporam o ideário cívico vigente na ditadura civil-militar (1964-1985). Dentre as ações do CFC, a criação de calendários culturais anuais destinados a instituições de ensino e cultura foi uma tentativa de valorizar os elementos cívicos que comporiam a cultura nacional. A associação entre memória e história aparece aqui traduzida na relação entre memória histórica e prática cívica, tão utilizada em períodos autoritários.

Labour Management on Contemporary Kenyan Cut Flower Farms: Foundations of an Industrial–Civic Compromise

This paper describes the labour management system applied since around 2005 on farms accounting for the bulk of the output of the Kenyan cut flower sector, and provides an analysis of the foundations of this system. Using categories drawn from convention theory, this system is characterized in terms of specific approaches to hiring, training and promotion; labour retention; work organization and worker deployment; payment systems and supervision, as well as to collective bargaining. In convention theory terms, the combination of approaches identified in Kenya embodies a mixture of ‘industrial’ and ‘civic’ orientations – in contrast to both more traditional paternalist and unbridled market‐oriented ones. The material and political foundations of this ‘industrial–civic compromise’ are explored at length, with particular attention to stabilization of the production system (in the case of industrial elements) and political and demand‐side developments (in the case of civic elements). The paper concludes by considering the generalizability of these findings to other large‐scale agricultural sectors in developing countries.

Vocational and Civic Education: Whither British Policy?

The current crisis in British VET (Vocational Education and Training) is explained in terms of the decline of opportunities beyond preparation for university for young people after school. The continuing large numbers of ‘NEETS’ (those not in employment, education or training) is but one aspect of this problem: much larger is the decline in good quality VET opportunities for those who do not intend to go to university. A very important element in the problem is a misunderstanding of the relationship between Education and Training and a continuing preoccupation with a narrow skills-based form of training rather than vocational education. The distinction between training and VET is made clear and it is argued that, although training is an important element in VET, it is a mistake to identify the two. There are significant liberal and civic elements in any VET worthy of the name. There follows a brief review of British VET policy, which starts from the 1964 Industrial Training Act and goes on to follow the decline that took place in the 1980s and 1990s until the point at which it was realised that there was a significant problem with British VET. The article goes on to consider recent developments, culminating in the Wolf Report of 2011. The connection between VET and schooling is considered, as is contrasting VET practice in much of Europe. Finally policy options for VET in the UK are considered.

The Politics of Citizenship in an Enlarged Europe

The Politics of Citizenship in Europe. By Howard Marc Morje. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. 256 pp. $24.99 (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-69127-7). Marc Howard's The Politics of Citizenship in Europe makes a significant contribution to the literature on comparative citizenship. By breaking down citizenship legislation into component parts and measuring these empirically, Howard provides the framework for a systematic comparison of citizenship policies across Europe and beyond. Existing works have been largely structured around the close comparison of a small number of cases (Joppke 1999; Rubio-Marin 2000). The comparison of cases has also been stymied by an overreliance on strict ethnic vs. civic dichotomies. Even the citizenship laws of France and Germany, the paradigmatic cases of jus soli and jus sanguinis analyzed by Brubaker (1992), contain both civic and ethnic elements. Moreover, some countries with restrictive citizenship policies, including Germany, have liberalized their citizenship policies over the last decade owing to domestic and international pressures. Howard's comparative framework facilitates comparisons across both space and time. The main contribution of the book is the “empirical baseline” provided by Howard's Citizenship Policy Index (CPI). The CPI measures three important components of citizenship legislation: whether citizenship is awarded by birth, the length of residency necessary to naturalize, and whether those who naturalize can hold dual citizenship. CPI scores are calculated for the EU-15—the pre-2004 members of the European Union—at two points in time: the late 1980s and 2008. This allows Howard to study the origins …

The Apprenticeship Framework in England: a new beginning or a continuing sham?

This paper highlights critical shortcomings in the approach to apprenticeship in England and argues that the proposed Apprenticeship Framework is unlikely to fulfil its stated aims of enhancing quality and quantity. The key weaknesses identified are a clear definition of what constitutes an apprenticeship framework, an educational component, employee involvement and lack of recognition of alternative college‐based routes. Drawing on a recent cross‐national study, the authors compare the English situation with the vocational education and training systems of other leading European countries. These embody a distinctly different approach and framework, being based on social partnership and the education of young people into a broadly defined occupation. It is shown how the current proposals mark a potential step backwards and a departure from the principles of the 1944 Education Act by ignoring general and civic educational elements in young people’s formation. Above all, for any framework to be successful, it needs to take into account the longer term interests of employees, given changes in the labour market, and to address the issue of employer disengagement. The conclusions drawn suggest ways forward.