The Pebble in the Pond: Children's constructions of power, politics and democratic citizenship

Abstract

A civics and citizenship education curriculum is currently being developed for all levels of Australian schools in an attempt to prepare young people for effective participation in the complex, evolving society of Australia in the 21st century. Clearly children should be encouraged to explore issues to do with power and politics and it is important to include factual information about the structures and processes of government in any curriculum materials. However, this paper argues that children's lived experience as members of families, schools and the wider society provide understandings that must be taken into account if we wish them to really appreciate the principles and purposes that underpin democratic practices. This qualitative study investigates the perceptions of 27 children, between 5 and 12 years of age, in relation to their constructions of power and politics. It uses a developmental framework to understand the children's talk and to chart the increasing complexity of their concepts.