Participatory
Citizenship in
Europe
Europe for Citizens Programme
Study 2011-12
Team
• Project leader: Bryony Hoskins, University of Southampton
• Co-leader: David Kerr, Citizenship Foundation
• The consortium partners:
• Denmark: Aarhus University
• France: European Institute for Education and Social Policy (EIESP)
Germany: University of Giessen
• Italy: Roma Tre University
• Slovenia: University of Ljubljana
• Netherlands: University of Humanistics Studies
• UK: LLAKES, Institute of Education, National Foundation of
Education Research, University of Southampton.
•
Aims and objectives
 Map the concepts, policies, practices and level of
Participatory Citizenship across Europe
 Identify barriers and facilitators to encourage
more citizen engagement in Europe
 Inform the development of European policy and
funding programmes in particular the:
 the 2013 European Year of Citizens
 2014-2020 Europe for Citizens Programme
 2014 European Parliament elections
Methods
 Review of literature
 27 EU country fiches compiled by experts
 Interviews with pan-European networks
 Analysis of existing international surveys,
including IEA International Civic and Citizenship
Education Study (ICCS) and European Social
Survey (ESS)
Reports
 Contextual – Concepts and definition
 Analytic – maps current state of play on policy and
engagement in Europe
 Good Practice – identifies key features of effective
practice
 Study Summary and Policy Recommendation identifies an EC policy strategy on Participatory Citizenship
 Reports located on Europe for Citizens website:
http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/about-the-europe-for-citizensprogramme/studies/index_en.htm
Definition of Participatory Citizenship
•‘Participation in civil society, community
and/or political life, characterized by mutual
respect and non-violence and in accordance
with human rights and democracy’.
Definition broadly blends the practices
different models of citizenship across Europe
of
All actions must be underpinned by the values
of human rights and democracy
Different forms of citizenship found
in Europe
• Liberal communitarian model
• Local level volunteering and civic duty to support
community
• Civic republican model
• National level participation in politics
• Critical/ cosmopolitan model
• Promotion of Social Justice and Human Rights
Citizenship models in national policy
• Critical citizenship model - eastern europe but never top priority anywhere
• Civic republican legacy (a focus on common
values or political participation)
• General shift towards the liberal
communitarian model with mostly right
wing governments voted in recent elections
emphasising small state and more
volunteering and charity
‘state of play’ before the crisis
• A gap between older and newer democracies for
adult participation is still found and not decreased
in last 10 years
EVS 2008: ‘If there were to be a general
election tomorrow would you vote?
EVS 2008: Have you taken a political
action by signing a petition.
Table 2.8. Adults: Sign a petition
Countries
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France,
Malta, Slovenia, Spain
Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Portugal, Northern Ireland
Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland,
Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden,
Great Britain
Estonia, Germany.
Poland, Romania.
Change across time: EVS waves 1990, 1999, 2008
‘state of play’ before the crisis
Young people from former communist
countries highest increase in last 10 year
whilst older and wealthy democracies
continue to have less enthusiastic youngsters
ICCS 2009: Intention to vote in a
general election when an adult
ICCS 2009:‘Have you been involved in an
environmental organisation?’
Table 2.3. Youth: Participation in an environmental organisation
Countries Change across time: CIVED (1999) & ICCS (2009)
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
England, Estonia, Finland, Greece,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Slovakia, Slovenia
Denmark, Sweden
Policy Trends and Barriers
• Economic crises and austerity
• Shift until before 2012 towards more centre right
govenments across Europe
Trajectory of policy
• Shift before 2012 towards centre right across
Europe (smaller role of the state)
• European countries civic republican traditions but
their has been a shift towards liberal
communitarian polices (from political
engagement to volunteering and community)
• In the context of austerity this has on some
occasions seen the replacement of paid jobs by
volunteers
Context of Austerity
•
•
•
•
•
Active Citizenship not considered a high priority
Cuts both govenment and private sector
Cuts at all levels
Cuts for support to ‘hard to reach groups’
Challenge sustainability of policies and practice
that previously supported participation and
engagement of citizens in decision making
• Uncertainty
Changes in civil society
• Civil society focused on fundraising to keep
themselves afloat
• Change of focus of citizenship projects towards
economic dimension
• Citizenship curricular: financial capability,
Entrepreneurship, social innovation
• Greater focus on volunteering and less on political
literacy
• Social Movements: Protests against cuts, ‘occupy’
Risks
• Cut at the time when they are most needed
• Periods of economic downturn previously lead to
focus on own survival, less tolerant towards
difference, more open to populist parties
What can be seen so far…
• Countries are looking inwards towards local or
national concerns
• Rise in some European countries of extremist and
nationalistic groups
• Golden Dawn
• True Finns
Effective strategies
 Participatory Citizenship is primarily a learnt
activity
 Learning in all it diverse forms (from
discussing politics with friends to formal
education) relates to Participatory Citizenship
 Learning improves quality of Participatory
Citizenship
(enhancing
civic
competences:
knowledge, skills, attitudes & values)
Overcoming barriers to engagement
 Different levels of learning and wealth increase
inequalities in engagement
Strategies towards targeting disadvantaged youth:
 Schools
 Vocational Education & Training
 Youth work targeted at hard to reach groups
 In economic crises unemployed youth benefit
from being engaged in decision making in their
local communities
Situated learning: successful learning
approach
Learning in a real life civic context:
e.g. influencing decisions that have real
consequences and influence on the lives of
young people: how their school is run, school
budgets and decisions
regarding their local community
This approach helps to
develop self-efficacy
(the belief that you can
make a difference)
Situated learning project:
‘A Penny for Democracy’ from Sweden
 Opportunity
to
participate
democratically
economic governance of part of school budget
in
Key success factors:
 involved in developing proposals for funding
 responsible for decisions on funding and these
decisions were taken in a democratic way
 could see the visible consequences of their
decisions through the projects being realised
Other key success factors for projects
 Collaboration between different types of
partners can pool resources and experiences
and spark innovation
 Strategic and sustainable funding enables
NGOs to focus on Participatory Citizenship and
not on their own survival
 Use of new technology can engage more
(ensuring that citizens have the competence,
confidence and access to use them)
European Union strategy
 balanced in promoting both political participation
as well as voluntary and community action in civil
society
 targeted in recognising and responding to the
impact of the economic crisis at national and local
level in member states
 sufficiently
flexible
and
long-term
to
encourage and promote collaborative working
between EU institutions, member states and EU
citizens
European Year of Citizens 2013
• A bottom-up approach with citizens involved in
constructing and developing the programme and
activities
• Opportunity for the EU institutions to listen to Citizens
• Provide momentum for new Europe for Citizens
Programme and EP elections
• Increase profile of Participatory Citizenship as a policy
priority
• Needs sufficient funding to turn aims into reality for
citizens
• Respond to the needs and interests of European
citizens
Europe for Citizens Programme
2014-2020
 Build flexibility into the Programme so as to
respond to changing contexts
In today's economic crisis:
 Place more emphasis on the actions of civic
participation over remembrance and identity
 focus on sustainability & longer term
funding for those involved in Programme actions
and projects
EU 2020
Smart Sustainable & Inclusive Growth
 Balance
in
policy
emphasis
between
Participatory Citizenship, social cohesion &
economic competitiveness so that values &
practices of democracy flourish
 Long term challenges of competitiveness &
climate change should be grounded in active
involvement of and participation of citizens
in order to safeguard future of democracy in
Europe
• Reports available on Europe for Citizens website:
http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/
• about-the-europe-for-citizensprogramme/studies/index_en.htm
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Contact details:
Bryony Hoskins, University of Southampton
B.Hoskins@soton.ac.uk
David Kerr, Citizenship Foundation
David.Kerr@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk
Effects of Austerity on Active
Citizenship in Europe
• 6th December
• Houses of Parliament
• 18.00-20.00 with reception
• E-mail Lisa.Then@soton.ac.uk