Creating responsible citizens

Aruna Sankaranarayanan

That we are the world’s largest democracy is indeed significant. Just as caring for the planet requires an ecological consciousness, a healthy democracy hinges on responsible citizenship. For many, being a good citizen involves being honest in their day-to-day lives and voting in state and national elections. But being a responsible citizen involves far more than being upright and exercising one’s right to vote. For a democracy to thrive, we need an active citizenry that engages with issues that impinge directly and indirectly on our lives at local, regional, national, and global levels. And, education can play a significant role in cultivating responsible and responsive citizens.

What citizenship entails

In Citizens, Jon Alexander writes that citizenship is not about holding a particular passport or merely voting in elections, but a “state of engagement,” where individuals see themselves as active agents capable of identifying areas that need to be reformed and taking on responsibilities to create a better future for all.

Bona-fide citizens exhibit certain characteristics, writes Alexander. They recognize that we are interdependent beings who create our own futures by actively participating in community and civic life. We deliberate the pros and cons of issues that impact various networks of people in our communities and try to forge solutions that are just and fair. Regardless of our professions and varying identities, we all share a common identity – that of being a citizen, and accordingly, we need to work towards a more promising collective future.

Given the many crises that confront our world, it’s not surprising that people across the globe are rather disillusioned with the state of affairs. Rising inequality, countries ravaged by war, growing levels of mental ill-health, and repercussions of climate change have many people questioning the narrative that’s been instilled in us by previous generations. That you study well, work hard and be an honest citizen, and life will take care of the rest, is a fairy tale that works for a select few, typically those from privileged classes while the vast majority don’t feel any forward momentum in their lives.

Alexander avers that we “need to see ourselves anew”. Rather than viewing ourselves as consumers in a competitive society that pits us against each other, we need to tap into our collective humanity. Only if we reframe our belief that humans are “creative, capable, caring” people, can we get out of our current morass. Unless we exercise collaborative efforts and trust one another to work towards the common good, our future, in fact, our very survival is in jeopardy.

Alexander avers, “Citizenship is human nature,” which can be ‘suppressed’ but never entirely extinguished. Right from prehistory, we have been practicing “campfire democracy,” a term attributed to sociologist, Ronald Glassman, in “pre-colonial Africa, indigenous Australia, and among Native Americans”. A ‘participatory’ form of government was also evident in the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Alexander also argues that the histories of countries may be rewritten through a “citizen lens” to understand how average folk also contributed to and shaped the turn of events.

Rewriting the subject story

Though citizenship, as Alexander characterizes it, may be inherent in us, most people all over the world have been historically subjugated, either by monarchs or governments, with colonized countries often bearing the brunt of oppression and exploitation. In an essay in On Citizenship, Romila Thapar argues that our concept of citizenship, as we currently understand it, is a modern one. In Greco-Roman times, citizenship was an “exclusive status,” available to a privileged few, today we have a more expansive and ‘inclusive’ view. Further, our current conception that evolved after the French and American Revolutions, presupposes the “equality of all citizens” with “rights as well as the right to assert these rights.” Further, the constitution was the ‘document’ that would formally spell out “rights and duties of the citizen and the state towards each other.”

Given that autocratic regimes are in power in many countries today, Thapar wonders whether we have ‘failed’ to “press home the meaning of citizenship” both for the privileged classes that continue to feel entitled and for those “who continue to think of themselves as subjects” as opposed to citizens of a state. So, educators can play a significant part by apprising students about their rights, helping them understand the historical contexts of how these rights were framed, and how they can exercise their “rights to improve society”.

To be citizens, we need to have a sense of responsibility and agency. We take ownership of our problems and find ways to provide solutions while harnessing the strengths of our networks. According to Alexander, citizenship also calls for an “expansive imagination.” Rather than just accepting things as they are, we are able to “see how things could be” if we envision a different future and problem-solve how to get there. To be active citizens, we need to connect, engage, and contribute to our communities, however broadly we may define them, on an ongoing basis.

Further, the internet is a potent tool that we can use to mobilize resources and people. However, as Alexander notes, it has been “abused as a tool to undermine Citizenship.” He also adds that a citizen internet has to be accessible to everyone without interference from large corporations or governments and guarantee the “right to both privacy and security.” Though we may be far away from this ideal right now, it is not inconceivable to realize it if a sufficient number of people exercise their voice and rights.

The pandemic also highlighted that we are capable of putting selfish interests behind in the interest of the common good. The umpteen sacrifices that people make and the spirit of volunteerism that rises during natural disasters like the Chennai floods in 2023 shows that ordinary people are collectively capable of extraordinary feats. Education needs to highlight these aspects rather than perpetuate existing hierarchies.

The role of schools

What can schools do to nurture responsible citizens? First, we may give children more of a voice in terms of how schools are run so that they experience a sense of agency and autonomy. This includes what they study, at what pace, and how they would like to assess their own learning. A shift to project-based learning, where students identify a problem within their community, and work collectively to solve it makes education contextual, meaningful, and collaborative. With teachers serving as facilitators and mentors rather than old-school sages, students may become more active participants by planning and mapping their individual learning trajectories. Even if schools opt for a core curriculum that is common to all students, we may provide ample flexibility in terms of how students learn and express their learning.

Though most schools have a school government, these tend to mimic adult power structures with a few elites lauding over the majority, who tend to assume a passive role. Instead, schools may engage all students by adopting a more participatory approach. Students in each class, along with their teacher, may devise their own class rules rather than regulations being imposed top-down. Student leaders may be encouraged to listen to fellow students for concerns, suggestions, and feedback, creating a truly democratic space that values transparency, debate, and dialogue.

Finally, civics should not be limited to dry textbook lessons. Instead, students may be encouraged to become more civic-minded, taking on actual problems that affect their communities. The best way for students to learn about their rights as citizens is to be active and engaged ones, both within and outside school.

References

• Alexander, J. with Conrad, A. (2022) Citizens. Surrey: Canbury Press
• Thapar, R. (2021). Citizenship: The Right to be a Citizen, In On Citizenship. New Delhi: Aleph Book Company.

Aruna Sankaranarayanan is the author of Zero Limits: Things Every 20-Something Should Know. She blogs at https://arunasankaranarayanan.com.