< Back to previous page

Project

Rethinking Citizenship Education in Times of (Un)Belonging: The Role of Emotions in Finding a Balance Between Unity and Diversity;

Over the past decades, European societies are characterized by increasing ethno-cultural diversification and debates on social cohesion, national identities, and citizenship are prominent in contemporary society. Education plays a key role in promoting a shared sense of belonging and emerging interest in citizenship education is, therefore, perceptible in research, policy and practice. Substantial literature has explored the normative, 'fact-based' nature of citizenship education. Yet, previous research has shown that ethnic minority students in Europe construct different collective identities than ethnic majority students and (sub)national identities appear to be less attractive to ethnic minority youth. These results imply that civic knowledge and attitudes are not able to bind ethnic minority students emotionally to an 'imagined national community'. This research aims to understand how young people perform their belonging and how education affects these processes of belonging. This study specifically focuses on the emotional processes related to issues of belonging and citizenship in education, without ignoring power relations and the social and political context involved. With the use of an ethnographic and narrative approach, this study aims to gain a nuanced understanding of how belonging and citizenship are understood, enacted, and experienced by young people attending secondary education.
Date:1 Nov 2021 →  Today
Keywords:DIVERSITY
Disciplines:Education, culture and society not elsewhere classified, Political sociology, Education policy, Race and ethnic relations, Citizenship