Components of childhood citizenship: learning for citizenship training.

Abstract

Building citizenship from childhood is the great bet to improve long-term social conditions; however, what it means to be a citizen in childhood has been understudied. Results of a qualitative research are presented to analyse components of citizenship in childhood and inquiries about what learnings are part of their education. Considering socio-cultural theory and levels of moral development, citizen education is approached as a process with social and individual factors. Through the discourse analysis interviews with diverse actors are examined; empirical results allow to identify three areas of learning which constitute the main components of citizenship in childhood: rights and responsibilities, social interaction and organization of society.