This document discusses active citizenship and adult education for vulnerable youth. It describes the EduMAP project, which examines policies and practices needed in adult education to include at-risk young adults in active citizenship in Europe. The project uses case studies and data to develop an online tool to advise policymakers. The document then discusses concepts of active citizenship, how it relates to adult education, learning about and through citizenship, and dimensions of multicultural, inclusive and participatory citizenship. It also examines the socio-cultural, political-legal and socio-economic dimensions of active citizenship and examples across European countries.

1. Active citizenship and Adult
education for young vulnerable
adults
Kai Pata
Tallinn University
The project is funded by the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and
Innovation Programme, Contract No.
693388

2. EduMap project
• EduMAP http://blogs.uta.fi/edumap/ is a Horizon2020 research project
(February 2016- February 2019) focusing on the educational needs of
young people with low levels of basic and functional literacy, with deficient
language and cultural skills (foreign newcomers, ethnic minorities), those
who have dropped out of school and those not in education or training due
to handicap.
• The main research question is: What policies and practices are needed in
the field of adult education to include young adults at risk of social
exclusion in active participatory citizenship in Europe?
• Final product: IDSS system that uses actual European case studies and data
input for advising policymakers how to improve adult education for
vulnerable youth

3. Adult education for active citizenship
• The European discussion on active citizenship emerged to counteract deficits in the social
cohesion and solidarity and, above all, the democratic deficit.
• Lisbon European Council, 2000 - active citizenship concept has emerged: The key idea of
active citizenship is that a person is engaged in participation in activities that support a
community.
• ‘Learning for active citizenship” was stated as one of three major pillars in lifelong learning
(Commission of the European Communities, 2001).
• The key competences: the ability to communicate in one's mother tongue and foreign languages,
adopting civic competence based on knowledge of social and political concepts, and a commitment
to active and democratic participation (European Parliament and the Council of the European Union,
2006).
• Adult education has been seen as a key means for supporting active citizenship and social
cohesion, and equal opportunities, and for reducing the democratic deficit across Europe
(Mascherini et al., 2009: 5).
• However there has been the neo-liberal shift in the field of adult education: While historically, adult
education has been an important means for providing people with a broader, more humane
education, recently in many European countries, adult education has become reduced to only one of
its functions, namely that of employability or ‘learning for earning’ and only now the lifelong learning
also for learning self-development and excercising active citizenship has been highlighted.

4. Active citizenship concept
• Active citizenship is first and foremost about participation in civil
society.
• Active citizenship should be seen as a public identity and not as an
individual one. (Biesta, 2009 )
• Active citizenship supported the strategic goal set for the European
Community - to become ‘the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge-based economy in the world with more and better jobs
and greater social cohesion’
• Recent concern: young people, in particular, are often not strongly
embedded within their communities, and may lack the knowledge
and skills to act effectively as citizens.

5. Learning for active citizenship
• Learning for active citizenship comprises two approaches to citizenship learning,
namely learning about citizenship and learning through citizenship (cf. Johnston,
2003: 158, Kalekin-Fishman, Tsitselikis & Pitkänen, 2007: 28-32).
• Learning about citizenship covers historical and cultural understanding as well as
information on citizens’ rights and responsibilities. This learning is primarily about
citizenship as status, and focuses mainly on the politico-juridical spheres of
citizenship. It relates with the concept responsive citizenship (e.g. in Hungary)
• Learning through active citizenship is seen as part of lifelong activity in which a
person constructs the crucial links between learning and societal action -
citizenship as practice (Concept active citizenship is becoming widespread across
European countries agendas.)
• The contexts where citizenship can be learnt occur not only in educational
organisations but in various areas of social life: civil society, work, and what is
usually designed as the private sphere. (Kalekin-Fishman, Tsitselikis and Pitkänen,
2007: 30.)

6. Learning for active citizenship: multicultural
• Three different but overlapping dimensions can be explored from the
learning for active citizenship:
• learning for multicultural citizenship;

7. Socio-cultural dimension
Benefits of being engaged as an active citizen
• Being actively engaged in a community is considered to be more
desirable than being outside of a community.
• Active citizenship is not about participation in any community (such
as extremist groups )
• New context supported by social media and migration: the increasing
internationalisation - a person can be actively engaged with diverse
national and international communities

8. Socio-cultural dimension: values
• Ethical boundaries set limits for active participation, specifying the particular
values that should be underpinned through the participation in the community
life.
• As a rule, people’s activities should support the community and should not
contravene principles of human rights and the rule of law (Hoskins et al., 2006:
11).
• However to be active in different communities with different value-sets, often
personal values acceptable in one community may partially contradict with the
values of other community that constrains being active citizen in that
community.
• In culturally diverse countries the notion of active citizenship is characterized by
the values of tolerance and non-violence and by the acknowledgement of
human rights and mutual respect. (Brooks and Holford, 2009: 17.)

9. Learning for active citizenship: inclusive
• Three different but overlapping
dimensions can be explored from the
learning for active citizenship:
• learning for inclusive citizenship;
Image: http://amberanderson.co.uk/participatory-city/
Exercising tolerance and democracy in interaction
between individual people’s voluntary activities and
self-development, and the public sector activities.

10. Political-legal dimension
Active citizenship incorporates
adoption of democratic values
• A citizen as a holder of rights has become more and more a bearer of
duties (Eriksson, 2009: 194-198)
• A person’s active participation in society and political life is incorporated
with democratic values (Mascherini et al., 2009: 10).
• Democratic practices are ‘owned’ by citizens.
• The individual is expected to exercise citizenship by means of economic
choices. Socio-political order specifies the kinds of activities and
‘investments’ that individuals need to make so that the specific socio-
political order can be reproduced.
• Active citizenship is not about any participation in community but the idea
of active citizenship denotes a set of activities which are considered
necessary for a stable democracy (Hoskins et al., 2008: 389).
Not just voting (responsive
citizenship) but becoming engaged
in policy-making (active citizenship)
To channel a persons’ political agency

11. Learning for active citizenship: participatory
• Three different but overlapping
dimensions can be explored from
the learning for active citizenship:
• learning for participatory
citizenship
Image: http://amberanderson.co.uk/participatory-city/
Thin government
services + active
citizens’ services (e.g.
social enterprises) and
entrepreneurship
Making individuals less
dependent upon the state,
mobilizing them.
Transforming learning
into a desirable
consumer commodity

12. Socio-economic dimension of active
citizenship
• In neo-liberal discussion on active citizenship, the importance of
employment and effective economic and societal participation have
been stressed, and citizens’ entrepreneurial attitudes are
encouraged (Brooks and Holford, 2009: 11-12).
• In this discourse, an active citizen is presented as the opposite to a
passive citizen who is dependent of the support of the welfare state
and constantly in danger of becoming marginalised (Eriksson, 2009:
194).

13. Socio-economic dimension
’Consumer citizenship’
• There is the constant shift of responsibilities from the state traditionally obliged to
create civil, political and social rights to the individual consumer’s fundamental
right – the ’consumer citizenship’.
• The individual actions of active citizens are considered to be the main ‘solution’ for
collective problems.
• An active citizen is the person who, through active involvement in the local
community, would provide those ‘services’ that are no longer available through
welfare state provision.
• With the the ’consumer citizenship’ one of the key principles of a democratic
society: the goal of equal opportunities.
• The goal of equal opportunities is difficult to fulfil for vulnerable people. Younger
generations, the unemployed, workers at home, and so on, are being left behind in
exercising active citizenship in the community and become passive receivers
(Milana, 2008: 208.)

14. Active citizenship in Europe
Politico-legal
Socio-economic
Socio-cultural
In UK the ‘Big Society’ and ‘localism’ -
community activities are in the focus of
policies.
In France, politico-legal values like liberty, equality,
fraternity, human rights, tolerance, rule of law and citizen
duties are explicitly stressed.
The development of democratic competences and active
socio-political participation of citizens are highlighted in
Germany. Germany: people’s involvement in active
participation concerns both citizens and denizens .
In Germany: Individual
people’s and NGOs societal
activities are seen important
contributions to society and
complementary to the
governmental measures
Thin government
services + active
citizens’ services (e.g.
social enterprises) and
entrepreneurship
In UK encouraging people to take
an active role in their communities
(including volunteering), ‘social
action’, but the underlying idea of
increasing community self-help
and reducing state intervention
In Spain, respecting others,
showing tolerance, co-
operation and solidarity
among people and groups are
seen as central values.
In Scandinavian countries, there appears to
be an obvious focus on democratic
community values - human rights and
freedom, diversity and equality.
Exercising tolerance and democracy in interaction
between individual people’s voluntary activities and
self-development, and the public sector activities.
In Denmark active citizen is connected both to
citizens and foreigners who apply for a permanent
residence in the country
In Finland active citizenship it no less than as an
ethical attitude to the world, global citizenship
and includes social and civic activities, protection
of human rights and non-discrimination, as well
as a person’s self-development, responsible
consumption and environmental responsibility
Estonia: citizen’s
capability and
willingness to have a
positive impact in the
society
Estonia: curricula
highlight ‘civic initiative
and entrepreneurship’
Not just voting (responsive
citizenship) but becoming engaged
in policy-making (active citizenship)
Latvia: to feel safe and belonging to
Latvia, everyone [here] will have the
opportunity to achieve his or her goals
Lithuania: Government must reduce
areas of intervention, thus enabling
citizens and communities to take
responsibility into their hands to be
proactive, enterprising, creative in
their solutions and ready to take risks,
trusting their fellow-citizens.
Cohesion,
inclusion and
involvement
Making individuals less
dependent upon the state,
mobilizing them.
Transforming learning
into a desirable
consumer commodity
To channel a persons’ political agency

15. An ideal active citizen…
• has an awareness of the citizenship rights and citizenship duties
• has intercultural understanding and understanding of the principles of
democracy, equality and human rights
• is able for intercultural communication and interaction and creating webs of
network, underpinned by shared values, trust and reciprocity
• possesses relevant professional and/or entrepreneurial skills, digital
competence, innovativeness and creativeness
• engages with the principles of human rights, equality, democracy and
motivation to support the (local/national/European/international) community
• does not contravene the rule of law
• The transformation of the learner’s identification and engagement is
important!
affective
cognitive
operative

16. Active citizenship practices are changed by
new interaction environments
• Increasing availability of digital media and communication means, in particular,
opens up many new and innovative avenues for people to practice their
citizenship in diverse ways (cf. Brooks and Holford, 2009: 15).
• In addition to schools, civil society and workplaces, the participatory forms of
citizenship can be learned in through diverse actions in virtual communities,
digital milieus and single-issue interest groups.
• Many youth groups live in a hybrid space between the mainstream culture and
peripheral ways of living. If no efforts are made to create real preconditions for
their societal membership and participation, the members of these groups are at
risk of being marginalized and defined as outsiders. (McCollum, 2011.)
• In order to prevent social exclusion among vulnerable groups, educational
institutions need to shape curriculum contents, educational initiatives and
pedagogies in ways that are acceptable to a wider range of cultural codes and
communicative practices to which the learners have been socialised.

17. Final words
• This presentation relies on the effort of H2020 EDuMap project
consortium and is based on the report: Conceptual Framework on
Active Citizenship
• Contact: http://blogs.uta.fi/edumap/
The project is funded by the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and
Innovation Programme, Contract No.
693388