Chapter One

Understanding Civics and Ethics

1.1. Defining Civics, Citizenship, Ethics and Morality

1.1.1 What is Civics?

The term civics is derived from the Latin words ‘civis’ which means citizen and ‘civitas’ which
means ‘city states. The two Latin words gave birth to the branch of social sciences known as
‘civics’.

Civics, as a separate field of study, is defined in terms of citizens. As a result it has the following
definitions:

 It is a branch of social sciences which deals with the rights and duties of citizens;
 It is also an intensive study and understanding of political institutions which includes
the law making, executive and law interpreting institutions, political parties
 It is a science that studies the purpose, function and systems of government and state
structure, the nature of the law , and the way private behavior affect public order and
the political system;
 It is a science which deals with the theory and practice of free and open democratic
society;
 It is a branch of social sciences that deals with international and domestic socio-
economic and political conditions, etc.
 What is cititizen, Citizenship?
- Citizen is a person who has certain rights and privileges in a country and who is
expected to render services and to discharge duties. A citizen is an individual who is legally
recognized member of a given state.
- Citizenship: is a relationship between an individual and a state, defined by the law
of that state, with corresponding duties and rights in that state
- Citizenship: is full membership in a state or in some other unit of government.
Almost all people have citizenship in at least one country. Not all the people in a nation are
citizens of that country. For example, many countries have noncitizen nationals

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 National and Citizen
- These terms have slight difference. National is a person who is citizen by birth. But
citizen could be a person who is either naturalized or born in the country. Thus we can say a
national is a citizen born in a specific country but a citizen may not be a national.
What is Ethics?
- Ethics is derived from the Greek word “ethos” which means character.

- Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with what is good/bad, what is right/wrong, what is
acceptable/not acceptable etc.

1.1.2 What is Morality?

The term morality is derived from the Latin word’’ moralitas’’ which means ‘’manner, character
and proper behavior’’. It is the belief or recognition that certain behaviors are either ‘good’ or
‘bad’. It is the conformity of human behavior to the established code of conduct. Morality is
concerned with principles and practices of morals such as:
♣ What ought or ought not to be done in a given situation?
♣ What is right or wrong about the handling of a situation?
Therefore, morals are the welfare principles enunciated/articulated by the society/ the wise
people, based on their own their experience and wisdom. However, it can be changed, modified
or edited in accordance development of science and technology, human development and time.

 Evolution and Development of the Subject

Citizenship education was started by the Greeks (around the 5th century B.C.) and Romans.
During the medieval period in Europe it was given along with religious education. As the church
started to loose its former absolute dominance over the state during the Renaissance period, the
impact of religion in public education also declined in many countries. The impacts of the
English Revolution of the 17th century, the American War of Independence and the French
Revolution of the 18th century were very strong and long lasting for the growth of the subject
matter of Civics and Ethical Education at the international level.

In Ethiopia, Civic Education was introduced into the school curriculum during the reign of
Emperor Haile Sellassie I called Moral Education. During that time, the subject gave more

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emphasis to the glory and sacredness of the Emperor, his unquestionable power, his hereditary
rights and the like.

The Derg regime was introduced as Political Education into the school curriculum. The Marxist
Leninist ideology was highly preached in that political education for the sole reason that Ethiopia
was by then a socialist oriented country.

In order to produce a competent, active, informed and responsible citizens the current
government in Ethiopia has introduced Civic and Ethical Education into the Ethiopian schools
curriculum from grade 5 in the elementary up to the tertiary level.

 Objectives/Purposes of Civic and Ethical Education

1. To create competent and responsible citizens.

2. To inculcate citizens to take part in public affairs: political, social and cultural.

3. To make citizen aware of the fundamental rights and freedom.

4. To develop the culture of democracy: tolerance, cooperation and compromise.

5. To create well informed, conscious, responsive and active participant citizens.

6. To make citizens think rationally and critically

7. To make citizens responsive to patriotism.

8. To develop the capacity of citizens to make sound judgment

9. To create good citizens.

 Who do you think is a good citizen?

A good citizen is one who:

 Up holds democracy and support the democratic system

 Pursue wisdom

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  Respects law

 Actively participates in the cultural, socio-economic and political affairs of the society

 Develops culture of saving

 Is hard working and industrious

 Is patriotic for his country and peoples

 Responsible

 Up holds and fights for the realization equality of groups and individuals

 Stands for justice and fairness

 Is self-reliant and confident

 Source of Civic and Ethical Education

- Civic and ethical education is an interdisciplinary subject. Therefore, it borrows its contents
and methods from different fields of studies.

- It is possible to categorize sources to learn civic and ethical education into theoretical,
documentary sources and social sources.

- Theoretical sources are philosophy including epistemology (theories of knowledge) and

ethics, political science, sociology, economics, law, history and geography.

- Documentary sources – civic and ethical education has diverse documentary sources.
Constitution, international human right charters; and the characters of global and regional
organizations, decisions and enactments of legal bodies, historical sources, films and
photographs and soon are some of the documentary source of the subject under discussion.
- The international instruments as one documentary source of civic and ethical education
include among other things other things , Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR)
of 1948; the convention on the Right of Child(1989); The Convention on the elimination of
all Forms of Discrimination against Women(1979) are some examples of such sources.

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  Social sources
- Apart from documentary sources and theoretical sources, civics and ethical education also
traces its contents or sources from social context.
- Families, exemplary(role models), schools, libraries, professional associations, labor
unions, mass media, public meeting centers, and other

 COMPETENCES OF GOOD CITIZENS

- As the roles of good citizens are multifaceted and many, there are minimum competences
that are required from them. These are civic Knowledge, civic skills and civic attitudes.

a. Civic knowledge implies general information and awareness about the social, Cultural,
political, environmental, historical and economical conditions and realities of the past and the
present and also the challenges and prospects ahead of the country. Citizens need to know
their country, its people, history, culture, resources and the like.

b. Civic attitudes involve those character traits, or dispositions which are engrained in the mind
of citizens. The first and primary disposition that is required from good citizen is tolerance.
Political tolerance and cultural tolerance is critical to build up democratic system in our
country. In democracy, peoples are allowed to hold and express their own political view. As
result of such freedom, different view are circulated and reflected in the society. That is the
beauty of democracy. Citizens will have options to choose in such political markets. In order
to ensure the freedom of expression an assembly, the culture of tolerance is a pillar. So,
tolerance could mean accommodation of political differences. At societal level, tolerance
would mean, for instance, a peaceful co-existence of different cultural, linguistic and
religious communities. In Ethiopia where you have more than 80 linguistic communities,
tolerance becomes critical. It would include, then, accepting diversity, valuing diversity and
respecting diversity.

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F Accepting diversity: it refers to recognizing the fact that Ethiopia is
diverse and plural having different cultural, linguistic, religious and
social structures.

Valuing diversity: implies that citizens need to appreciate diversity.

Diversity is natural and hence need to be valued positively. It provides
options for citizens, too.

Respect: diversity need to be respected. Respect is the key principle to

Another vital
live with difference.

disposition of good citizen is open-mindedness. It implies citizens’ readiness to enter dialogue,

listen to others and change positions consequently. In dialogue the stronger idea wins! A related,
but different disposition is what we all it civic mindedness. This implies citizens’ readiness to
scarify their individual interests and values for the sake of promoting the collective inters tot
common good. It involves the altruistic qualities of citizens. So, good citizens always stand for
the public interest and die for it!

Loyalty is another element of civic dispositions. Loyalty involves things like keeping promises
or keeping ones words, keeping relationship. Loyalty is required at different capacity of citizen.
For example an office holder or official is expected to be loyal to the people that voted for him.
Similarly the civil servant is expected to serve the public loyally. In doing so, a public servant or
employee is expected to respect the rules and regulations of the employer.

c. Civic Skills: Civic skills are the third elements which are required from good citizens. These
involve skills of decision making, communication, conflict resolution, compromise,
persuasion, creativity and the like. The following can be listed in this regard:

 To take part in political discussions; consciousness of current political issues; to be

able to evaluate a position or decision, take a position, defend a position

 To resolve conflicts in a peaceful way

 To interpret the media messages (interests and value systems that are involved etc.)

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  To have media skills to look, choose, and ‘use the buttons’

 To have language competence, reading and writing;

 To be capable in critical handling of information and information technology;

 To possess communication skills

 To know how to vote; to monitor and influence policies and decisions

 To use the media in an active way (not as consumer, but as producer of media content)

 To participate in voluntary organizations;

 To build coalitions; to co-operate; to interact

 To be capable to handle multiculturalism

In order to participate effectively, thus, Citizens are required to have competence of civic
knowledge, attitude and skill.