Civic Counterstories for Critical Times: Civic Activism Among Youth in the Global South

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Civic-Minded Activism in the Curriculum: Israel, the Global South, and the International Baccalaureate

Abstract

Educational researchers in the United States report a civic empowerment gap indicating that white, suburban, high income students are more likely to receive participatory, active civic education. However, in research with students in regions in Liberia, Costa Rica, and the United States, we noted exceptional ways youth from low-income communities engage in civic action outside of formal school contexts. This paper reports the findings of four qualitative and quantitative case studies of civic attitudes and action among youth across three nations. Based on classroom and community observations, teacher interviews, and student focus groups, this paper reports ways youth are involved in civic action and argues that educators can look to the Global South as a model for youth activism.

Authors

• Laura Jeanne Quaynor, University of South Carolina - Aiken

• Keisha L. Green, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Ana Tristana Solano-Campos, University of Massachusetts - Boston