Conference Agenda

This proposal aims to discuss how schools can promote the development of personal and social competencies and social capital in young people for political and civic participation. Also, it aims to demonstrate how schools can become platforms for civic participation by young people in their contexts. In order to achieve those purposes, we will use data from a study carried out in 29 secondary schools located in border regions of Mainland Portugal, considered mostly rural and low-density (Silva, 2014). These regions have social and economic disadvantages and less opportunities of participation (Silva et al., 2023). In these regions, school appear as an essential element for liveliness and dynamism and is central to the lives of young people. Authors such as Amiguinho (2005) and Canário (2000) emphasize the role of schools in guaranteeing this vitality in rural areas. Schools can, therefore, be seen as an essential space for promoting cultures of citizenship and youth participation (Silva et al., 2023), both because of its centrality and the importance it is recognized as a mechanism for valuing and including peripheral and rural environments (Amiguinho, 2005).

As youth participation is becoming a priority at international and national level (EU, 2018; Council of Ministers Resolution number. (2022) - National Youth Plan II), schools are assuming a fundamental role in preparing young people for civic and political participation, particularly through citizenship education. Several authors have recognised this aspect (Biesta, 2011; Osler & Starkey, 2005; Perrenoud, 2002) and at policy level (Council of Europe, 2018; Portugal, 2017; UNESCO, 2015), especially with a focus on issues of democratic citizenship and the development of competences for democratic citizenship based not only on the valorisation of traditional democratic institutions and participation, but also on the development of a transformative citizenship focused on social and community well-being and social justice (Addler & Goggin, 2006; Banks, 2017; Whesteimer & Khane, 2004). In this vein, the valorisation of experience (Dewey, 1916; Lawy & Biesta, 2006) and the development of active and community-based methodologies focusing on young people's contexts have been referred to as fundamental to promoting the skills necessary for young people's civic participation in community-life for community’s well-being (Gruenewald, 2003).

This proposal is a component of an ongoing PhD research project (Ref: SFRH/BD/143733/2019) focusing on the study of citizenship education practices in secondary schools located in border regions of mainland Portugal. The aim is to explore how these schools address dimensions such as youth involvement, aspirations, and local cultural aspects within their citizenship education initiatives. This project is part of the broader GROW:UP – Grow Up in Border Regions in Portugal: Young People, Educational Pathways, and Agendas project (PTDC/CED-EDG/29943/2017), which investigates how young individuals shape their biographical and educational paths, examining responses from various contexts to meet their aspirations.

Our research critically examines the concept of citizenship education, particularly its role in balancing individual agency with collective identity in democratic societies. Anchored in the theory of 'citizenship-as-practice' (Lawy & Biesta, 2006) and the 'funds of knowledge' approach (Moje, 2008; Hogg, 2011), our study is situated within the field of the new sociology of childhood. This framework offers a unique lens for understanding how children, as integral members of society, understand solidarity.

Citizenship education, traditionally aimed at cultivating responsible members of society, often risks endorsing a homogenized set of values and behaviors as emblematic of the "good citizen" (Schugurensky & Myers, 2003). Yet, it also possesses the potential to empower individuals to critically engage with societal norms, advocating for change and social justice as well as global issues. This dual nature necessitates a critical reflection on the objectives and outcomes of citizenship education, particularly in how it balances individuality with collectivity.

Building on this, we delve into the concept of solidarity as an integral aspect of citizenship education (Santora, 2003; 2011) and characterized by the same type of tension. Solidarity, often at odds with the principles of diversity and individualism, poses the challenge of fostering unity without diminishing the value of diverse perspectives, a crucial element in democratic communities. This exploration of solidarity leads us to investigate its manifestations and understandings among children in educational settings.

Our research into children's understandings of solidarity in educational environments provides an insightful perspective on the interplay between individuality and collectivity. Employing 'citizenship-as-practice', we aim to understand how children, as active agents, navigate the complexities of solidarity amid their diverse experiences and collective educational objectives. This investigation is further enriched by incorporating the 'funds of knowledge' concept (Gaztambide-Fernández, Brant & Desai, 2022), which emphasizes the importance of leveraging the culturally and contextually rich knowledge that students bring from their communities. By doing so, citizenship education transforms from abstract principles to a lived, community-connected practice, making the concept of solidarity more tangible and relevant to students.

Our methodological approach, informed by the new sociology of childhood (James, Jenks & Prout, 1998; Epstein et al, 2006), places a strong emphasis on children's agency and perspectives. We adopt participatory qualitative methods, valuing students' backgrounds and experiences as integral to the research process.

Guided by the questions: How do children in Romania understand and engage in practices of solidarity in the current European context? and How do children engage in constructing and performing individual and collective identities in the process of learning about solidarity? our research seeks to uncover new insights into how children conceptualize and practice solidarity, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of citizenship education in diverse and dynamic societal settings.

The relevance of our study is twofold. First, focusing on Romania (a country grappling with high economic inequality and receiving a significant influx of refugees) provides a critical context for researching how these broader issues shape children's understandings of solidarity. Second, it complements the data provided by ICCS2022 study, that investigates the ways young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens from a curriculum, school and classroom perspective.

Abstract: Global flows of migrant youth continue to be a highly topical and controversial issue with an increased focus on undocumented, unaccompanied and 1.5/second generation migrants. These populations are often perceived as vulnerable due to fluctuating legal status, feelings of marginalization as well as the trauma associated with forced migration. This study presents findings from a systematic review of research published in academic journals on migrant school-aged youth activism, foregrounding the role of formal and informal education. In a systematic analysis of the field, we ask how migrant youth activism is shaped, conceptualised and operationalised in contemporary research. In particular, our focus centres on examining the scholarly discourse pertaining to migrant youth activism and its implications for both education and social justice.

Over the last decade, a steady increase in youth activism had been documented, mainly concerning issues such as climate change, environmental activism (Hayik, 2021), human rights, LGBTQI+ activism (Terriquez, 2015), #BlackLivesMatter, Indigenous rights, #MeToo, etc. (Taft & O’Kane, 2023). We are witnessing to youth working both within the political system (Kwon, 2019), including seeking for inclusion as full-fledged citizens (Farini, 2019), as well as outside of it (Kosko et al., 2022). Research continues to highlight the role youth play in raising awareness regarding not only social and legal issues (Müller-Funk, 2020), but also seeking justice (Cin et al., 2023) and recognition for their own communities and the world in general (Riniolo & Ortensi, 2021; Shin et al., 2023). According to Choudry (2015) youth activists learn and produce valuable knowledge as they navigate diverse contexts. They often show a capacity to “link their personal problems to a broader set of social, political, and economic forces and to direct their energies toward transforming them” (Ismail & Pottier, 2023, p. 2).

There is an imperative to comprehensively study the current research agenda concerning youth activism. Scholars have showed that, despite variations in interest and participation across racial, ethnic and religious groups, and cultural contexts (Liu et al., 2023; Shin et al., 2023), the study of migrant youth has received less attention (Mora et al., 2018). School-age students is another underrepresented group in activism research. First, this group is often considered challenging to reach due to the legal regulations about minors (Black et al., 2022; Literat & Kligler-Vilenchik, 2018). Secondly, in many countries it is assumed that school-age students have a limited voice (Karsgaard & Davidson, 2023). However, what limited research exists emphasizes how youth develop as activists over time (Astuto & Ruck, 2010; Bellino et al., 2021), and how their life experiences motivate them (Ballard et al., 2015). It also highlights that migrant youth deserves its own niche in activism studies (Azzolini, 2016; Hochman & García-Albacete, 2019; Trisokka et al., 2021).

We are interested in mapping the landscape of school-age migrant youth activism. Drawing on a systematic literature review approach, our presentation addresses three central research questions: 1) What are the prevailing trends in research on migrant youth activism? 2) What theoretical and methodological foundations underlie the research in this domain? 3) What are the key focal areas within the field of migrant youth activism?

For the purpose of this study, a broad definition of activism was accepted, where we interpreted activism as any action aimed at social change. This working definition was utilised during the screening phase to determine whether to include a particular paper or not. This allowed the inclusion of different forms and representations of activism, which are often context-specific and go beyond a preset form of activities (Taft & O’Kane, 2023).

Is Brussels (Belgium), a small world city characterised by (super)diversity and division, a laboratory for (dealing with) multiculturalism in Europe? The intense philosophical-religious and politico-linguistic (between French speakers and Dutch speakers) struggles made Brussels a politically divided city with a high degree of instability kept in check by a series of pacification techniques (Witte & Van Velthoven, 2011). In recent decades, sweeping globalisation ensured that more than three in four of its inhabitants have roots abroad (STATBEL, 2022). In such a combined context of a divided past with contemporary diversity of backgrounds, how is it possible to achieve social cohesion, a shared identity and bridges that connect?

Despite strong needs for learning how to deal with (super)diversity (Driezen, Clycq, & Verschraegen, 2023), people of a diverse background hardly find each other (Costa & de Valk, 2018). In the Brussels’ educational landscape, these walls are figuratively reflected in the gap between school, city and home environments. Certain topics, especially concerning the past and identity(s) such as colonisation, the Shoah or conflicts in the Middle East, are sensitive and treated as a taboo by teachers in some schools (Maréchal et al., 2015), if only because many teachers feel inadequately prepared to address them (Van Droogenbroeck et al., 2019; more generally: Savenije & Goldberg, 2019). Yet, in their living environment youngsters come daily into contact with identity-laden artefacts. Indeed, public space is packed with memory markers, which are carriers of (imaginary) identities (Halbwachs cited in Grandhomme & Jalabert, 2022). Even more, in many cities both in Belgium and abroad, the question of how to deal with (contested) commemorative objects in public space is high on the political and societal agendas (Rigney, 2022).

The latter question offers unique learning opportunities in terms of critical thinking on societal issues (Veugelers, 2017). To achieve this, students need both an open and reflective stance (competences of citizenship), as well as knowledge and skills to understand society (competences of historical awareness) (Gelinck, 2020, 99). A multiperspective approach holds the potential to intertwine both domains and appears effective for dealing with controversial issues (e.g., Goldberg and Savenije, 2018). Multiperspectivity is considered as a critical and interpretational approach in which local historical controversies or tensions are approached from different viewpoints (based on Abbey & Wansink, 2022). Although multiperspectivity has been promoted for several decades, it appears a concept that has not yet been sufficiently operationalised or translated into educational practice (Wansink et al., 2018). In this exploratory study, we therefore explore the challenges and opportunities that teachers experience when preparing for a multiperspective approach. Accordingly, the following research question is at the focus: what challenges and opportunities do teachers in two Brussels' secondary schools experience for guiding their students towards the creation of new historical artefacts on topics that are polarising or sensitive among youngsters?

In this contribution, we focus on a Brussels double case study. The former is pinned to one of the great icons of recent Brussels political life: former mayor Roger Nols (cf. Jaumain & Vaesen, 2022), a public figure who already in his own reign received virulent criticism because of his discourse and policy actions featuring overtones of discrimination and racism. The latter has to do with traces of colonisation and, in particular, the role of the then Belgian monarch in a process characterized by ‘violence and cruelty’ (cf. Stanard, 2019). By starting from an authentic societal phenomenon or issue, students create (new) solutions and narratives that start from or connect to their background and thus become meaningful (van Boxtel et al. 2016). Moreover, when their voices are heard and acted upon, it has the potential to have an empowering effect (Mitra, 2018).