Developing Nation, Developing Citizens: Contextualizing the Meaning of Civic Engagement Among School Students in Liberia

• In Event: Youth Civic Engagement and School Community, Climate, and Culture: Reciprocal Possibilities

Abstract

This paper illustrates an alternative conceptualization of civic engagement as observed among Liberian high school students. Definitions of civic engagement typically differentiate civic activities (those related to volunteerism or politics) from non-civic after-school or school-based activities. This paper argues that a more inclusive definition of civic engagement is needed to be useful in diverse contexts. Specifically, civic engagement is defined as being a good citizen, allowing for flexibility in defining what it means to be “good” and to what an individual identifies as being a citizen of (e.g., country, school, etc.). Definitions should also emphasize individuals’ motivations for involvement (e.g., communally or personally oriented).

Support for the value of this broader definition of civic engagement is drawn from semi-structured interviews with twelve high school students at a boarding school in Liberia, West Africa. Interviews explored students’ involvement in activities within and outside the school community, students’ motivations for their involvement, and students’ definitions of what it means to be a good Liberian citizen. Interviews were transcribed, read through several times to identify emergent themes, and then coded systematically to identify patterns in students’ responses.

Several themes emerged from the interviews. Students identified a variety of school activities in which they were involved, some that fit more traditional definitions of civic engagement (e.g., student government, volunteer club) and others that did not (e.g., sports, singing in the choir). Students also gave a number of reasons for their involvement, many of which had a communal orientation (e.g., service is important for improving the community) while others were more practically or individually motivated (e.g., working to earn a service scholarship, finding enjoyment in the activity). When asked to describe what it means to be a good Liberian citizen, the majority of students discussed obeying the laws and leaders of the country. Other components of being a good citizen included being involved in activities in the country, picking up trash, and setting a positive example for others. Although it is unclear whether students are explicitly making this connection, their statements defining good citizenship to the country often reflected their attitudes and behaviors in the school setting. This finding supports the idea that schools serve as public spaces in which young people can practice citizenship in a context they understand and in which they feel comfortable3.

Not all of the school activities students reported should be considered civic engagement. However, those in which students were motivated to benefit their community or practice their ideas of good citizenship should be included within definitions of civic engagement. This case study illustrates the value of allowing “good citizenship” to extend beyond a rigid definition to include a variety of activities which might be civic in some contexts, even if they are not in others. It is hoped that researchers will continue to explore how civic engagement is culturally situated in a variety of settings.

Author

• Holly Wegman, Vanderbilt University