Citizenship,participation and well-being

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject examines two related beliefs: (i) children and young people are citizens; and (ii) the meaning of citizenship depends on the age of the citizen. It introduces a major debate around citizenship between those who regard citizenship as conferring individual rights and those who regard citizenship as a political practice of participation that confers responsibilities to society as a whole. The subject will use research-based case studies from diverse contexts (e.g. local government, medicine, education and law) to examine the contemporary enactment of different models of citizenship and the implications for children's and youth's well-being. There will be a focus on how geography, gender, race and class affect citizenship - specifically, how they promote or limit participation by children and youth in social institutions and therefore promote or limit their well-being.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

• Identify and understand competing perspectives on citizenship
• Analyse research-based case studies using different models of citizenship
• Develop awareness of the hierarchies of citizenship that operate across geography, gender, race and class.
• Critically reflect on the intersections between well-being for children and youth and their participation in social institutions.

On completing this subject, students should be able to:

• Sharpen their analytical skills by recognising the key tenets of different models of citizenship
• Enhance their skills of scholarly critique through reading widely in diverse journals and texts
• Gain improved written skills through using and analysing research based case studies of how citizenship is constructed and enacted for children and youth
• Demonstrate skills in critical reflection on how social institutions limit or promote possibilities of well-being for children and youth
• Gain reflective knowledge and understanding of impact of geography, gender, race and class on citizenship for children and youth.