Citizenship: How do leaders in universities think about and experience citizenship?

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Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

CitizenshipHow do leaders in universities think about and experience citizenship?

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INTRODUCTIONThis article explores the concept of citizenship based on the experience of student leaders from a mid-sized university in western Canada.

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Theories of Citizenship

Background and Context

Qualitative Study Design

OVERVIEW

Results

Implications

Next Steps

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Who are we?We actually don’t look like this …

Janet MillerChair & Associate

Professor, Dept. Student Counselling,

Mount Royal University

Randy ConnollyProfessor

Dept. Math and Computing,

Mount Royal University

Famira RacyResearch Assistant &

Recent Graduate of Mount Royal University

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1. BACKGROUND CONTEXT+

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OURAIM

Explore the concept of “citizenship” in the university context, add to the dialogue about higher education and its role for creating or fostering citizenship, and stimulate conversation about active citizenship amongst our student body.

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2. THEORIES CITIZENSHIPof

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WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?Classic formulation is that citizenship refers to society’s shared set of expectations about an individual’s role in politics.

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Citizenship expectationsFollowing Dalton [2008]

Public Participation Knowledge About Government

Commitment to Order Moral Respect

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IN CONTRASTOthers have argued that citizenship is not in decline but rather is changing its form. For instance, Dalton [2008] argues that there are two types of citizenship: the first is duty-based (and corresponds to traditional forms of political participation), while the second is engagement-based, and involves more generalized activities in civil society, such as signing petitions, visiting political web sites, or boycotting goods or services for political reasons.

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Collective

Global

Individual

Hyper-LocalThurston, 2013

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3. STUDY DESIGN

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It is the experience of citizenship, the development of citizens, the measureof citizenship and the meaning of being “good” or “great” citizen that is of interest in this study.

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Methodology

the theory and practice of interpretation

Hermeneutics

seek to understand how the participants interpret the world; emphasis on understanding their social reality.

Interpretive Inquiry

semi-structuredtelling of stories and experiences

Individual Interviews

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SAMPLEQUESTIONS

What does citizenship mean to you?

Share some experiences you've had that reflect citizenship.

What's the difference between a "good" and a "great citizen"?

How might students/faculty/admin show "great" citizenship?

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MOREQUESTIONS

What role does university play in creating "great citizens"?

How might the citizenship of our student alumni be measured?

What could MRU do to create "better citizens"?

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4. RESULTS

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COLLECTIVEGOVERNANCE

IT’S A RELATIONSHIPWITHIN A COMMUNITY

VOLUNTEERISM

RESPONSIBILITY

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CHALLENGESGOVERNANCE

FOSTERSCRITICAL THINKING

DEMONSTRATESCARING AND ROLE MODELS

ENCOURAGESINVOLVEMENT

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ENCOURAGESINVOLVEMENT

FOSTERSCRITICAL THINKING

ROLEMODELING

HELPOTHERS

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TIME IS GREATER THANMONEY

GENUINEVOLUNTEERISM

IT ISPERSONAL

OVER AND ABOVEDUTY

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Involvement

Record

Measure

MEASURECAN WE

• Co-curricular record?• Pre-post measurement?• Difference in amount?• Difference in kind?• Involvement in community?• Involvement on campus?

POSSIBILITIES:CITIZENSHIP

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Engaged

Global

Duty

Hyper-Local Thurston, 2013Dalton, 2008

admin

students

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5. IMPLICATIONS

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PERSPECTIVECITIZENSHIP

Students

AdminStudents

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6. NEXT STEPS

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FUTUREPLANSStudents

AdminStudents

Faculty

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YOUTHANK

Famira Racyfamiraracy@gmail.com

Janet Millerjbmiller@mtroyal.ca

Randy Connollyrconnolly@mtroyal.ca