Projects / Programmes
Strengthening patriotic and civic awareness among youth
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.06.00 |
Social sciences |
Political science |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.06 |
Social Sciences |
Political science |
Youth, civic awareness, homeland, patriotism, literacy, Slovenia.
Researchers (7)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The research will analyse the importance of patriotism among youth, identify different forms of patriotism and clearly demarcate it from nationalism, with which the concept of patriotism is often equated. We will attribute the place and importance of patriotism in the school and the importance of civic and patriotic education within the curricula of Slovenian primary and secondary schools, especially from the point of view of the applicability of these concepts to the Slovenian socio-political reality. We will focus on developing an action plan for the preservation and dissemination of civic and patriotic literacy (including specific security and defence issues) among primary and secondary school students and maintaining a relatively high level of awareness of national defence, military role and patriotism in society. Proponents of the research on the basis of empirical results obtained with the help of surveys and other methodological techniques within the research projects "Homeland and patriotic education in the Republic of Slovenia" (head M. Haček, 2006-07), "Development of patriotism among young people" (head M. Haček, 2007-09) and the ESF of the project "Active Citizenship and Patriotism" (head V. Prebilič, 2012-13), we find that in Slovenia, despite years of discussions, we still do not have a consensus on the concept of patriotic and civil education among youth, that the appropriate concept of civic and patriotic education has not even been developed, and that such education of young people within and outside the existing education system is given insufficient attention. Therefore, it is primarily necessary to assess the state of civic and patriotic literacy among primary and secondary school students in Slovenian schools, and then analyse the extent and level of educational policy in the field of patriotic education, programs and curricula of primary and secondary education and pedagogical practice within non-formal education (or potentially even inhibit) to the development of patriotism in Slovenian youth. The aim of the project is to analyse the positive and negative aspects of the systematic addressing of patriotic content among youth, which will have not only consequences in the field of active citizenship but also an impact on building a better self-image and active involvement of young people in the national security system. Systematic nurturing of patriotism is a constant of developed democracies, as in this way the patriotic and civic literacy of the population is ensured, and consequently the concept of an active citizen can be built on this. Unfortunately, the latest research (above-mentioned ESS project) in the field of the state of patriotism among young people was conducted eight years ago, when a high level of discrepancy in this field was detected, which was reflected not only in a complete conceptual terminological misunderstanding of patriotism, but also in the relatively high illiteracy of young people and their passivity in the field of active citizenship. Therefore, the basic goal of the proposed targeted research project is not only appropriate, as it is necessary to check the current situation among young people (longitudinal survey), and to formulate possible proposals for more systematic education and action in the field of youth and homeland. To achieve the research goals and purpose, we will use a combination of several scientific methods and techniques, among them the longitudinal survey in the field of civic and patriotic literacy among primary and secondary school students. In the research we will answer the following research questions: What is the (positive) function of patriotism? Is and how is it sensible and necessary to cultivate patriotism in a planned way, to teach it in schools (which schools, within which subjects)? How could education for patriotism take place? What are the basic dispositions and orientations of young people in the field of patriotic and civic consciousness?
