El sentido político de la educación cívica: libertad, participación y ciudadanía

Abstract

The goal of the present paper is to revise citizen education from two basic points of view: on the one hand we will try to narrow the gap between its comprehension, and the historical momentums and the social needs entailed by this issue in Latin America. On the other hand, we will try to underline, in particular, the need for citizen education to be able, as an educative sphere, to produce skills of political performance. Therefore, we will present the reasons underlying the before mentioned revision, as well as the connections that must be demanded along with the task of vivification of the democratic principles and practices, namely, the basic guidelines for pedagogical policy in this field of expertise. From this point of view, we will emphasize certain items considered the basic reasons to demand a political significance in citizen education: collective prominence, social constructive collaboration, and active commitment responsibility.The final goal is, then, to transform this educational practice into an element of social and personal growth, a resource for understanding social contemporary problems, and values and current ethical projects, an incentive for acknowledgment and the practice of civic commitment and responsibility, a means of understanding that performing as a citizen entails the right to equal access and participation in public spaces.