Regina Martiarena (ENC3331)

Defining Civic Engagement

My definition of civic engagement is greatly influenced by Foucaults theories in
his article The Subject and Power. The author expands on the matter of power relations
and on how the essence of obtaining power comes down to the active pursuit of another
reality in order to avoid being trapped in our own history. (Foucault, 2004) Once those
alternatives have been carefully considered, it is imperative to identify the precise antiauthority struggle. Similarly, I believe that an active attention of alternatives in society
should be considered in order to improve life quality. Additionally, a common
misconception when identifying a threat of overbearing politics or an autocratic power
leads individuals to agonize over tangible issues that are commonly rooted to a larger
intangible issue. I conclude that the true definition of civic engagement is an active
pursuit to expose oneself to knowledge in order to tackle the root of issues to bring about
both tangible and intangible changes.
My logic for focusing on the exposure and awareness factor of civic responsibilities
can be best explained in Ekman and Amnas article Political Participation and Civic
Engagement: Toward A New Typology. The political authors regard Putnams
definition of civic engagement as too much of a little bit of everything which, in turn,
caused the term to reach new levels of conceptual stretching. (Ekman, 2012) This is
true, the possibilities of being considered an active participant in society are simply
endless. The better question is not what could be considered civic engagement?- the
answer might be just a bit overwhelming- but rather what is effective civic
engagement?

Regina Martiarena (ENC3331)

Ineffective civic engagement is designated within individuals who share
information without thorough knowledge of the topic. A perfect example of this: young
individuals engaging in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The literal
sharing of issues without the examination of full background details and analysis of
root causes may light some attention on the topic, but often can lead media users to
irresponsibly morph perceptions. In Boytes article Education as a Craft not a program,
the author personifies this concept by recounting a vandalism incident in a school. When
a group of offended students complained about poor school bathroom conditions, a pair
of AmeriCorps coaches aided the students and parents in [mapping] the complexities of
power and politics around their problem. (Boyte, 2004) The real problem wasnt the
schools mere ignorance, but rather there were a variety of rooted issues ranging from
lack of funds to flawed communication. It wasnt until these concerned individuals
worked collectively to carefully tackle each problem individually, that true progress was
made. This is a prime example of effective civic engagement- a more purposeful
consciousness that provides the opportunity for individuals to be more intentional,
strategic, and, consequently, more successful.
Critics, such as the U.S. Census Bureau who divide up civic engagement into four
tangible pillars (electoral, non-electoral political, group and community) may argue that
this form of pre-political civic activity is a false indicator of how much citizens are
concerned with their role in society. However, Ekman and Amna would counter that
stance with a portion of their typology that they call social involvement. (Ekman, 2012)
This is the claim that citizens are regularly engaging in discussions that may ultimately
influence others perceptions- a narrowed list of tangible pillars are not enough to

Regina Martiarena (ENC3331)

encompass all that is civic engagement. Country leaders should focus their energy on
providing more knowledge to our citizens in order to prompt- not just any response or
discussion, but instead, the correct one. This is something the city of Des Moines, Iowa
put into practice by providing a variety of public forums throughout the cities public
locations. Throughout these public meetings, the main focus was surprisingly not the
discussion of current events or concerns, but rather consisted of an expert speaking for
about 45 minutes- informing citizens on distinct but specific topics. The purpose behind
this is to supply enough background information to allow for an educated discussionone that may lead to far more successful outcomes in comparison to a blind debate.
Foucault would agree with this statement concerning the topic of power- its impossible
to be understood without being aware of its very existence.
In my experience at an extracurricular city program called Weston University, the
main purpose of the program was to give students a comprehensive look at governmental
relations. The program was a combination of instruction, conversations, and hands-on
activities, all with the purpose of elevating governmental awareness in students. Although
discussion was encouraged, the programs school-style set up consequently did stifle
speech. Just through observation, however, I personally managed to become aware of
root causes of city issues highly applicable to my everyday life. Commonplace
complications such as the overpopulation in my school had nothing to do with Cypress
Bay High Schools continuous endurance of a high volume of registration. Rather, it
rooted to a lack of the planning & zoning/engineering departments awareness of the
issue. As Weston University Alumni, we attended a department meeting and voiced
concerns regarding the overpopulation. The department seemed uninformed on the issue

Regina Martiarena (ENC3331)

and within a month took action such as re-designating school zones to fix the problem.
Without the personal and departmental exposure, this problem would never have been
dealt with- correctly, at least.
This idea of education leading to greater and more efficient civic engagement is
even more evident in third-world countries such as Nigeria. In 2015, founder-president of
The Wellbeing Foundation of Africa, Toyin Ojora-Sakari truly harnessed the potential
of young Nigerian citizens playing an essential role in building a better world for
themselves. Before her program efforts in Kwara state, the younger generation was
misinformed about powers over them and was not actively politically participating. After
implementation of learning programs, which exposed Nigerian citizens to issues that they
may have not been aware of prior, Ojora-Sakari, witnessed higher levels of engagement
than ever before. Young Nigerian citizens were formulating social media plans, voting,
and forming political advocacy projects to bring about those necessary changes.
Programs like this and Boytes Public Achievement allow for young people to be taught
the best ways to implement effective citizenship.
The question now is, is one an ineffective citizen if they do not have the luxury of a
fine education? Boyte confirms in his article: two out of three of the poorest Americans
cannot describe political skills and knowledge. (Boyte, 2004) The answer, perhaps
harsh, is yes. In my definition for civic engagement, education is the single most
important component. To exemplify, I will expand on the quote an educated vote is
worse than no vote at all. Oppressing powers have commonly targeted uneducated
populations in order to ignite manipulation. No effective civic engagement can be

Regina Martiarena (ENC3331)

enacted in a blinded society fooled by an invisible power. The only way to distort power
into a favorable element in society, we must be able to identify it.

Sources:
Boyte, H. C. (2004). Everyday politics: Reconnecting citizens and public life.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Cossart, & Keith. (2012). Rhetorical citizenship and public deliberation. University Park,
PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.

Ekman, J., & Amn, E. (2012). Political participation and civic engagement: Towards a
new typology. Human Affairs, 22(3).

Foucault, M. (2004). The subject and power.

Ojora-Saraki, T. (n.d.). Education, Energy, and Engagement - Celebrating Youth.

Huffpost

Education.

Retrieved

January

26,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/toyin-ojorasaraki/education-energy-andenga_b_7972416.html

2016,

from

Regina Martiarena (ENC3331)