The evolving landscape of democracies, coupled with shifting norms in citizenship engagement, may have diverse, and possibly challenging implications for aims, scope and priorities of citizenship education. We are re-thinking civics and political socialization on the backdrop of changing local norms and ideals of ‘good citizenship’, but also in context of climate change, conflict, inequities and polarization. So. What is meaningful to teach? What is meaningful to learn?
While various crises overlap, spread and continue to adversely impact nations around the globe, citizens experience them locally, in places they inhabit, on issues that impact them personally, and within context of local (citizenship) norms and constraints. New learning needs emerge in interaction with the changing social, cultural, political and natural environments. Many of the latest challenges will serve as opportunities for lifelong learning. On the other hand, already having certain competencies, skills, attitudes, values and beliefs in place can fuel participation and boost efficacy in addressing the spectrum of rising challenges.
For citizens who strive for sustainability of democracies, the wellbeing of communities, and sustainable development at large, having strong negotiation skills could be instrumental in pursuit of agreements for local action or global impact. Failures to reach sustainable agreements, on all levels, cause setbacks to achievement of sustainable development goals.
Principled approach to negotiation and conflict facilitates integration of diverse interests and seemingly opposing needs into mutually advantageous solutions, while maintaining and strengthening relationships (Fisher et al., 2011). Thru the lens of integrative negotiation, diversity and differences can lead to better solutions than sameness. Integrative negotiation competency fosters inclusion, serves as an essential tool for conflict resolution, and could expedite changes towards more sustainable systems and lifestyles. Broader development of integrative negotiation skillset and mindset could be applied as an antidote to polarization, and as a strategy empowering civic and political participation across gender. Recent systematic review (Kleer et al., 2023) found clear and consistent gender gap in political interest and internal political efficacy. Could development of negotiation skills in youth affect internal political efficacy via e.g. negotiation efficacy?
In citizenship education, cultivation of negotiation skillset and mindset has received limited attention from educators and researchers. Understanding the reasons behind this omission, as well as exploration of barriers, avenues and effects of development of negotiation competencies are needed. Development of strategies for scaling up teaching and learning of negotiation is essential, given the role the skills could play in achieving sustainable development goals and addressing local and global issues facing democracies.
In context of scarcity of empirical studies from negotiation focused civics education, negotiation research will be discussed, used to draw analogies, hypotheses and prompt research questions.