European Citizenship Education In Portugal: From European To National Conceptions

Author(s):

Andreia Caetano(presenting / submitting)Helena C. Araújo Pedro Daniel Ferreira

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

ERG SES D 06, Europe and Education

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-07

13:30-15:00

Room:

322. [Main]

Chair:

Philippe Masson

Contribution

From the late 80’s onwards, in a movement that includes the institution of democracy and joining the European union, we have been witnessing a "strong emphasis on the role of schools in promoting citizenship (democratic and European)" (Menezes, Ferreira & Pais, 2012), lead by the introduction, via the State, of a European dimension in public education with the aim of creating and educating citizens (Arnot, 2009).

Thus, from the mid-90’s, it emerges, both at national and European levels, a special focus on Citizenship Education (CE) in terms of research - focusing on the study of its educational and curricular design guidelines and on its impact on the knowledge, values and skills of students (Torney-Purta et al., 2001). This emphasis was also present in political discourse (Van Steenbergen, 1994) and originated several educational reforms throughout Europe (Menezes, 2003). With this, CE became the object of international studies on knowledge, skills, attitudes and political involvement of young people (Amadeo et al., 2002) and a response to concerns about the growth of social exclusion, discrimination and decreasing levels of political involvement, promoting, on the other hand, social cohesion and feelings of belonging (Torney-Purta, Schwille & Amadeo, 1999) This was particularly visible in educational contexts since the central role in the construction of the "ideal citizen" is commonly assigned to the school (Habermas, 1995).

Consequently, we can observe a reconfiguration of the European project that reflects not only a geographical area of intervention but also an area of education centred on European educational policy (Dale, 2009) which has been understood as an “unprecedented process of geographic integration at the supranational level that looks much more like a stitching together of a patchwork of distinct citizenship regimes than a fusion into a homogeneous political space"(Bauböck & Guiraudon, 2009: 444).

According to Bourdieu (1992), Europe is seen as a wider space where several national interests and particularities fight for distinction, recognition, domination, equality, evidence and/or leadership. Consequently, it can be stated that the Europeanization process can assume different dimensions and meanings (e.g., symbolical, cultural, spatial, political, economical, institutional, informative and educational, between others) and that its policy and project consist of a dynamic process, in constant evolution, with the aim of disseminating values, ideas, symbols, laws and images that represent the identity(ies) of Europe with which the majority of citizens are expected to identify with. In this way, it can be assumed that “European integration is, at the same time, a reaction towards the globalisation process and towards its most advanced expression” (Castells (2000: 348).

Recognising this, it is essential to understand what kind of European Citizenship (EC) has been advocated not only at a policy level but also at a practical and implemented one. Considering that learning about the EU is essential for European integration with and not in spite of citizens, this paper aims to reach a wider understanding of the impact of EC policies at a national and local level, taking into consideration if and how these educational policies promote a political culture that values citizens’ active participation and what kind of rights, duties and the senses of European belonging they emphasize. What are we referring to when we approach the concept of EC? How is this dimension sustained at an educational level? What is the aim of its exercise in a European and democratic society? Are there different perceptions and conceptions towards it emerging through the several spheres of decision making and its implementation? To which kind of European Citizenship Education is the public school compromised to and how do these perceive their role in it as facilitators of European Citizenship Education?

Method

Despite how the promotion of an European identity is weaved into citizenship education policies and (non mandatory) recommendations (Cowles & Risse, 2001), in Portugal, there is neither a specific curriculum space in which it fits nor a common definition or conceptualisation of what European Citizenship should be at the school level. This is also consequence of the changes that CE underwent, regarding curricular strategy and which defines it only as a transversal area of all curricular subjects. Nevertheless, at the national level, it appears that EU education policy guidelines are accomplished, in other educational spaces, for example through European Clubs known as "facilitator spaces for activities in the field of education" (Eurocid, s/d), allocated at all levels of education. In order to achieve a comprehensive description of CE in its European dimension, as well as its function, role, importance and impact towards an active, critical and democratic culture, a qualitative methodology will be adopted. It will make possible to bring together and contrast opinions, conceptions and perceptions of different actors/authors associated to its several spheres of decision making, underlining the different articulations of wills, powers and interests of different actors/authors at supranational (European), national and local levels. In this way, the analysis will be primarily focused on policies, legal documents and guidelines produced by the EU, as well as the ones established by Portuguese Ministry of Education and by European Information Centre Jacques Delors, the Intermediate Body of the Management Partnership signed between the Portuguese Government and the European Commission. Additionally, the guidelines from Regional Education Directions will be analyzed since these institutions are responsible for ensuring the execution of policies at national educational level, having a central role in the development of curricula and disciplines’ programs, as well as in the implementation of guidelines of non curricular areas. Finally, schools’ Educative Projects will also be considered. They define policy guidelines at a local level, ensuring schools’ autonomy, aims, the continuity of its projects, interventions and best practices. Given that Portugal is composed by 18 districts and 2 Autonomous Regions, 20 Educative Projects will be analyzed, randomly selecting one school per district among those with active European Clubs. Data generated will be analysed using Thematic Analysis, once it is a qualitative analytic method that provides a flexible approach for “identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within data” (Braun & Clarke, 2006: 79).

Expected Outcomes

It is expected a better understanding of what CE is made to be and intended to produce at various policy levels - especially when questions relating to its European dimension, European citizenship, are directly addressed - may contribute to academic debates and policy decisions that reflect a concern for the opportunities European citizens, particularly young citizens in Portuguese educational institutions have to learn and exercise a critical, engaged and interested European citizenship. To further this work it will be necessary to look at practices, namely practices at the school level, and it should be said that the analysis here proposed is an essential first step to a larger research program. Directly contributing to this larger program, this policy analysis can help identify differentiating practices among national schools and future case studies which will take into account a thorough analysis of the socio-political development of young people belonging to European Clubs, with particular attention to their sense of agency and forms of social and political engagement and how they relate to the experiences (and the quality of the experiences) of young people participating in European Clubs and in the school settings that promote them.

References

Amadeo, J., Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Husfeldt, V. and Nikolova, R. (2002). Civic Knowledge and Engagement: An IEA Study of Upper Secondary Students in Sixteen Countries. Amsterdam: IEA; Arnot, M. (2009). Educating the Gendered Citizen – Sociological Engagements with National and Global Agendas, London/New York: Routledge; Bauböck, R., Guiraudon, V. (2009). Realignments of citizenship: Reassessing rights in the age of plural memberships and multi-level governance, Citizenship Studies, 13(5), 439-450. Retrieved April, 14, 2010 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13621020903174613); Bourdieu, P. (1992). Rèponses. Paris: Seuil; Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3: 77-101; Castells, M. (2000). End of Millenium. Oxford: Backwell; Cowles, M., & Risse, T. (2001). Transforming Europe. In Maria Cowles, Thomas Risse & James Caporaso (Eds.), Transforming Europe: Europeanization and domestic change (pp. 217-238). Ithaca & London: Cornell University Press; Dale, R. (2009). Contexts, constraints and resources in the development of european education space and european education policy. In Roger Dale & Susan Robertson (Eds.), Globalisation and europeanisation in education (pp. 23-43). Oxford (UK): Symposium Books; Eurocid (s/d). Retrieved September, 7, 2014 (http://www.eurocid.pt/pls/wsd/docs/F1174/Informacao_clubes_europeus_ciejd.pdf); Habermas, J. (1995). O Estado-Nação europeu frente aos desafios da globalização. Novos Estudos Cebrap, 43, 87-101; Menezes, I. (2003). Civic education in Portugal: curricular evolutions in basic education. Journal of Social Science Education, 2; Menezes, I., Ferreira, P., Pais, S. (2012). Uma Visão Europeia, Ibérica e Nacional das Políticas e Práticas da Educação para a Cidadania em Contexto Escolar in Isabel Menezes & Pedro Ferreira (Eds.). Educação para a cidadania participatória em sociedades em transição: uma visão europeia, ibérica e nacional das políticas e práticas da educação para a cidadania em contexto escolar. CIIE/FPCEUP: Porto, pp. 11-15; Pichler, F. (2008). European Identities from Below: Meanings of Identification with Europe. Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 9(4), 411–430. doi:10.1080/15705850802416838; Torney-Purta, J., Lehman, R., Oswald, H., & Schultz, W. (2001). Citizenship and education in twenty-eight countries: Civic knowledge and engagement at age 14. Amsterdam: International Association of Evaluation Achievement; Torney-Purta, J., Schwille, J. & Amadeo, J. (1999). Civic education across countries: Twenty-four national case studies from the IEA civic education project. Amsterdam: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement; Van Steenbergen, B. (1994). The condition of citizenship: an introduction in B. Van Steenberger (Ed.). The condition of citizenship. London: Sage, 1-9.

Author Information

Andreia Caetano (presenting / submitting)

FPCEUP

Porto

Helena C. Araújo

FPCEUP, Portugal

Pedro Daniel Ferreira