1998/99 PCERII Funded Research Abstract
Research Title: Citizenship Values: A State of the Art Study
Research Team:
Research Domain(s): Education; Citizenship & Culturel
Citizenship education is of primary importance to the construction of a sense of belonging which underlies the civic participation of newcomers to Canadian society. Yet there is no systematic body of research on this topic, with a notable research gap on the citizenship values and principles held by Canadians including immigrants and refugees. A state of the art study of the values held and the extent to which they are prepared to change is proposed with two research objectives: (1) to provide a comprehensive critical analysis of the Canadian and international literature on citizenship values and principles; and (2) to establish the basis of the next phases of a much larger research project. This study will be carried out by means of thorough documentary analysis of the current state of research as well as the attitudinal studies in Canada, public opinion polls, as well as national and international legislative and government policies on citizenship values in Canada, how these vary among groups and how these interact. This study is the first and fundamental phase of a series of research projects on Canadian citizenship values, one of four themes established in late March of 1998 as part of a national research agenda on citizenship education at the historic Kananaskis Think Tank attended by a pan-Canadian group of educational researchers, practitioners and policy makers. Research results are expected to be of immense importance to educational and governmental policy makers, practitioners and the general public.