Civic engagement
Civic engagement has been defined as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."[1]
Usage
"civic engagement" can mean not only a set of actions and efforts, but a feeling of belonging, an experience of investment and ownership in the local, regional, national, and/or international communities to which citizens belong. According to the New York Times, "Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference."[2]
Beginning in 2001, a major international research initiative on civic engagement was initiated by the Global Service Institute (GSI) at the Center for Social Development, at Washington University in St. Louis to more carefully define this term.
Forms
Civic engagement can take many forms— from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy.
"Youth civic engagement" has identical aims, only with consideration for youth voice.
Activities
In a study published by CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts divided into 3 categories: civic, electoral, and political voice.[3]
Measures of Civic Engagement[3] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Civic | Electoral | Political Voice | |||
Community problem solving | Regular voting | Contacting officials | |||
Regular volunteering for a non-electoral organization | Persuading others to vote | Contacting the print media | |||
Active membership in a group or association | Displaying buttons, signs, stickers | Contacting the broadcast media | |||
Participation in fund-raising run/walk/ride | Campaign contributions | Protesting | |||
Other fund-raising for charity | Volunteering for candidate or political organizations | Email petitions | |||
Written petitions | |||||
Boycotting | |||||
Buycotting | |||||
Canvassing |
See also
- Community building
- Community development
- Civic virtue
- Civics
- Civil society
- Service-learning
- Social capital
- Youth empowerment
References
- ^ "Civic engagement", American Psychological Association. Retrieved 11/26/07.
- ^ "The definition of civic engagement", New York Times. Retrieved 11/26/07.
- ^ a b Ketter, S., Zukin, C., Andolina, M., and Jenkins, K. (2002) "The Civic and Political Health of a Nation: A Generational Portrait" CIRCLE and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
External links
- Center for Civic Engagement at University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
- Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship & Public Service, Tufts University
- Northumberland Civic Engagement
- Civic Engagement Center at Central Washington University
- WHYY Civic Engagement Project
- Penn Project for Civic Engagement at the University of Pennslyvania Graduate School of Education