This presentation explores the concept of citizenship based on the experience of student leaders from a mid-sized university in western Canada. Five student leaders participated in semi-structured individual interviews to explore their experience with, and understanding of, citizenship. Interviews concentrated on personal view points and definitions of citizenship, explored whether or not there are “good” and “great” citizens, and the role universities play in fostering strong citizenship amongst its student body. The measurement of citizenship and opportunities to foster citizenship were also explored. Qualitative content analysis revealed five themes, including political participation, social citizenship/solidarity, engagement, transformative action and autonomy. Citizenship, while highly valued by this population, also appears to be impossible to measure. If post-secondary institutions are aiming to create better citizens, more work needs to be done to create a common understanding of the intended outcome. Based on these findings, a new potential model of citizenship is proposed, in line with the work of Dalton and others who emphasize a shift towards personal involvement over traditional political engagement. Further, these results suggest that students could benefit from understanding themselves as political agents, capable of inculcating change within the university context and beyond.

1. 1
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Citizenship
How do leaders in universities
think about and experience
citizenship?

2. 2
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION
This article explores the concept of citizenship based on the experience of
student leaders from a mid-sized university in western Canada.

3. 3
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Theories of Citizenship
Background and Context
Qualitative Study Design
OVERVIEW
Results
Implications
Next Steps

4. 4
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Who are we?
We actually don’t look like this …
Janet Miller
Chair & Associate
Professor, Dept. Student
Counselling,
Mount Royal University
Randy Connolly
Professor
Dept. Math and
Computing,
Mount Royal University
Famira Racy
Research Assistant &
Recent Graduate of Mount
Royal University

5. 5
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
1. BACKGROUND CONTEXT+

6. 6
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
OUR
AIM
Explore the concept of “citizenship” in the university
context, add to the dialogue about higher education
and its role for creating or fostering citizenship, and
stimulate conversation about active citizenship
amongst our student body.

7. 7
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

8. 8
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

9. 9
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

10. 10
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
2. THEORIES CITIZENSHIPof

11. 11
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?
Classic formulation is that citizenship refers to society’s
shared set of expectations about an individual’s role in
politics.

12. 12
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Citizenship expectations
Following Dalton [2008]
Public Participation
Knowledge About
Government
Commitment to
Order
Moral Respect

13. 13
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

14. 14
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
IN CONTRAST
Others have argued that citizenship is not in decline but rather is changing its form.
For instance, Dalton [2008] argues that there are two types of citizenship: the first
is duty-based (and corresponds to traditional forms of political participation), while
the second is engagement-based, and involves more generalized activities in civil
society, such as signing petitions, visiting political web sites, or boycotting goods or
services for political reasons.

15. 15
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Collective
Global
Individual
Hyper-Local
Thurston, 2013

16. 16
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
3. STUDY DESIGN

17. 17
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
It is the experience of citizenship, the
development of citizens, the measure
of citizenship and the meaning of
being “good” or “great” citizen that
is of interest in this study.

18. 18
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Methodology
the theory and practice of
interpretation
Hermeneutics
seek to understand how the
participants interpret the
world; emphasis on
understanding their
social reality.
Interpretive Inquiry
semi-structured
telling of stories and
experiences
Individual Interviews

19. 19
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
What does citizenship mean to you?
Share some experiences you've had that reflect
citizenship.
What's the difference between a "good" and a "great
citizen"?
How might students/faculty/admin show "great"
citizenship?

20. 20
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
MORE
QUESTIONS
What role does university play in creating
"great citizens"?
How might the citizenship of our student alumni
be measured?
What could MRU do to create "better citizens"?

21. 21
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

22. 22
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
4. RESULTS

23. 23
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
COLLECTIVE
GOVERNANCE
IT’S A RELATIONSHIP
WITHIN A COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEERISM
RESPONSIBILITY

24. 24
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
CHALLENGES
GOVERNANCE
FOSTERS
CRITICAL THINKING
DEMONSTRATES
CARING AND ROLE MODELS
ENCOURAGES
INVOLVEMENT

25. 25
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
ENCOURAGES
INVOLVEMENT
FOSTERS
CRITICAL THINKING
ROLE
MODELING
HELP
OTHERS

26. 26
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
TIME IS GREATER THAN
MONEY
GENUINE
VOLUNTEERISM
IT IS
PERSONAL
OVER AND ABOVE
DUTY

27. 27
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Involvement
Record
Measure
MEASURE
CAN WE
• Co-curricular record?
• Pre-post measurement?
• Difference in amount?
• Difference in kind?
• Involvement in community?
• Involvement on campus?
POSSIBILITIES:
CITIZENSHIP

28. 28
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

29. 29
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
Engaged
Global
Duty
Hyper-Local Thurston, 2013
Dalton, 2008
admin
students

30. 30
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
5. IMPLICATIONS

31. 31
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
PERSPECTIVECITIZENSHIP
Students
AdminStudents

32. 32
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
6. NEXT STEPS

33. 33
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
FUTUREPLANS
Students
AdminStudents
Faculty

34. 34
Citizenship MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
YOUTHANK
Famira Racy
famiraracy@gmail.com
Janet Miller
jbmiller@mtroyal.ca
Randy Connolly
rconnolly@mtroyal.ca