Character Cards Main
Engaged Citizenship
Why it matters?
Why does engaged citizenship matter?
In an increasingly divisive world, engaged citizenship teaches learners the value of compromise and different perspectives.
In Volunteerism, Leadership, Political Socialization, and Civic Engagement (2004), author Flanagan writes “To achieve collective goals, individual members typically have to forego some personal preferences. In the give-and-take of peer group negotiations, young people learn that people (fellow citizens and members of the public) have different perspectives. They learn that (as in community affairs and in politics) resolving differences of opinion may require bargaining and compromise.”
Community engagement leads to more social responsibility.
Gallant (2010) noted that high-quality community service experiences in high school were linked to positive attitudes towards social responsibility. Procentese & Gatti (2019) further emphasized the role of civic engagement in promoting prosocial values and active citizenship, which in turn contribute to a sense of responsible togetherness.
Having a positive mindset improves performance.
A 1987 study found that positive affect, induced by means of seeing a few minutes of a comedy film or by means of receiving a small bag of candy, improved performance on two tasks that are generally regarded as requiring creative ingenuity.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
