Civil Society space to act and way of contact

Modern complexity: happiness is dangerous Living in the modern civil society means  Globalisation & individualisation But also  Coping with risks  Moving through networks  Learning to change and changing to learn

   Modern society is a risk society “Risk may be defined as a systematic way of dealing with hazards and insecurities induced and introduced by modernization itself” (Beck) "In contrast to all earlier epochs (including industrial society), the risk society is characterized essentially by a lack: the impossibility of an external attribution of hazards. In other words, risks depend on decisions, they are industrially produced and in this sense politically reflexive‘ (Beck) “Understanding and dealing with risk is essential to a dynamic economy and an innovative society" (Giddens)

Modern society is a network society     National, regional and local economies depend ultimately on the dynamics of the global economy to which they are connected through networks and markets (Castels) The network enterprise: a new form of organisation characteristic of economic activity, but gradually extending its logic to other domains and organisations Pattern of networking, flexibility and ephemeral symbolic communication in a culture organised around the electronic media (Castels) Virtual reality: timeless time and space of the flows

Civil society  Society of citizens  Citizenship  Rights and duties

The complexity of citizenship  Citizenship as status: the legal contract between State and individual, incl. nationality  Citizenship as social role: The sense of belonging and inclusiveness, focus on inter-relations

STATE

National Governement Local authorities NGO’s Tne small concept of civil society Schools Political parties

CIVIL

Large enterprises

SOCIETY

Social partners Social movements Local business life

MARKET

Social life, clubs, selforganisations Churches

COMMUNITY

Friends and family Informal networks for care, neighbourhood and work

The wide concept of civil society State Community Market

Between tradition and modernity Traditional civil society  Public space where citizens outside their private life take care for community matters Modern civil society  Silent duty and even social pressure to agree on social norms and values and to establish free associations to influence reality

Corner stones of civil society Citizens:    Freedom Voluntas (free will) Voluntairy work life Society:  Acceptance  Commitment  Integration State: regulation to self regulation    Protection Participation Empowerment

Self identity – who do I am  Binding: social organisations like political parties, social movements or churches making you a socialist, an intellectual, a catholic, etc.

Membership  Bonding: self initiatives, peer groups Being or feeling recognised and accepted  Bridging: networking based on personal choices Self esteem and self confidence Fleeting, temporary and flexible

Trends in modern civil society  No state control and protection, but self direction  Financial withdrawal of the state  Local authorities as director and as facilitator  NGO’s as social entrepreneurs  Enterprises focus on corporate social responsability

Interactive policy making – ranking participation High Citizens Influence Low 5. Take part in deciding 4. Co-production 3. Advising 2. Consultating 1. Informing High Authority influence Low

Output of civil society  Public opinion building in society  Generation of social capital (competence to collaborate)

Role of the social sector: iungtare, iuncto, iunctus  The social sector is

adjuncting

something

to

the well being of target groups through

conjuncting

them and

injuncting

them

in

society (for participation and integration) – but it

injunct

also itself

in

a range of result oriented organisations focused on providing

social life arrangements

Adult education in the civil society  Support of interactive policy making  Support of processes of new strategic alliances  Lifelong learning – managing changes  Competence development and training

Citizenship learning  Social learning (in, about and for society)  Based on experience and practice  Democratisation of learning, focus on the learner  Multipe, interconnnected, transversal learning approaches

Active citizenship 

Active citizenship is no static attitude or competence



The meaning of active citizenship changes in

relation to lifecourse development: it is always embedded in different socio-cultural contexts and in specific individual biographies.



Chances for real participation as precondition

DIMENSIONS OF LEARNING FOR ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

CONTEXT DESIRE SOLIDARITY COMPETENCE + POWER

Citizenship education 

Citizenship education is a method of social inclusion, in the course of which people togehter create the experience of becoming the architects and actors of their own lives. Opportunities to learn and practise autonomy, responsibility, co-operation and creativity enable the development of a sense personal worth and of expertise in confronting and tolerating ambiguities and oppositions DGXXII Education and active citizenship in the European Union, 1998

Open model of guidance       Inclusiveness, open to all people of all ages and reaching out especially to vulnerable and marginalized groups Intergenerational approach, incuding the family context and childcare provision Easily accesible phone-in services Free internet infomation and advice Accessibility at the workplace Multidisciplnary partnerships

Quality assurance  Porfessional training and certification of guidance practitioners  Employment of stafff with amulti-cultural background  On-going training for all staff  Provision of unbiased infromation on education, training and work opportunities

www.eaea.org

Civil Society space to act and way of contact