Lesson 3: Civic Literacies

Civic Literacy
Civic literacy is a body of skills, knowledae, and attitudes that enable a citizen to actively
participate
and initiate changes in the community and the greater society. It is important because it enables
citizen
participation in the affairs of the state. The word civic is derived from civitas, the Greek word for
citizen. Civic, or its plural civics, pertains
to the discipline that tackles the relationship of the citizen to the state (Meron 2006). Like other
concepts
in the field of literacy education, the goals of civic literacy are modest: for itizens to think beyond
the
confines of their homes and extend their participation to the community and society. Using local
idioms,
civic literacy taps into the notion of pakikipagkapwa thinking beyond the self, reaching out to a
fellow
or a kapwa, or always keeping others in mind in every action being done. The gestures carn be
both
small and big: segregating waste (environmental literacy), honoring and affirming that women are
equal to men (gender literacy), curbing consumerism in spite of peer pressure (financial literacy),
and
honoring members of our community who are different from us (multicultural literacy). Civic
literacy can be interchanged with civic education, but it must be noted that civic literacy
is the goal of civic education. Civic literacy is the foundational aspect of community engagement,
the wellspring from where meaningful reforms might possibly emerge. Therefore, its goal should
be
concerted citizen action. Civic participation is not only about participating in elections; it is also
about forging a consciousness
that an individual's actions are inextricably connected to the immediate and not-so-immediate
community.