Page 210 - Alenka Gril in Asja Videčnik, Oblikovanje državljanske identitete mladih v šoli, Digitalna knjižnica, Documenta 3
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vailing instruction methods and the discussions about social differences in the classes.
In all above mentioned concepts, we investigated the active involvement of the students
in the classes and school activities, assuming that the participative skills (engagement and
group work) are crucial civic competencies that substantially determine their later social
and political engagement or active citizenship.
The participation in collective activities in the community enables the adolescents to
acquire direct experiences in the societal relations and processes. At the same time, par-
ticipation in the group activities allows practicing the collaborative skills. All these activ-
ities require the reconciliation of communication among speakers in the group, while the
realization of activities stimulates the development of individual communicative skills.
The later are an important constituent of the civic competencies, as well as their cognitive
component which refers to the understanding of political processes and rules and norms
of civic agency. Within this framework, we studied the understanding of the process of
group decision-making and the concepts of group solidarity in adolescents in relation to
the school context. We examined as well how competent for public action adolescents per-
ceived themselves and how their teachers saw them.
An integral part of civic identity represents the individual beliefs and attitudes to-
wards social groups and their relations in the society. They are developed in the interac-
tions with other people, that are members of different social groups, and partly influenced
by the individual socio-cognitive abilities. In adolescence, the knowledge of different so-
cial groups and the characteristic relations among them in the specific social community
are improved. Hence, growing up in each specific social context substantially determines
the youth civic identity. In the nationally based countries, such as Slovenia, the ethnici-
ty is surely an essential element that determines citizenship. Changes in the modern west-
ern societies are connected to migration and the challenge of involvement of members of
other ethnicities in everyday life. Slovenia is also facing the challenge of multiculturalism.
Therefore, in order to study the formation of civic identity in adolescents we focused on
their definition of ethnic identity and their attitudes towards other ethnic groups and in-
tercultural relations, as well as their attitudes towards people from other social categories.
The attitudes towards different social groups are articulated in relation to the social iden-
tity of the individual. We assumed that they would give us information about adolescents’
recognition of social relations and their own positioning in the social structure based on
their identification with specific social group. The later also determines the acquisition of
normative beliefs and attitudes, therefore it could be assumed that the adolescents’ atti-
tudes towards social groups would reflect the specific social relations in Slovene cultural
In all above mentioned concepts, we investigated the active involvement of the students
in the classes and school activities, assuming that the participative skills (engagement and
group work) are crucial civic competencies that substantially determine their later social
and political engagement or active citizenship.
The participation in collective activities in the community enables the adolescents to
acquire direct experiences in the societal relations and processes. At the same time, par-
ticipation in the group activities allows practicing the collaborative skills. All these activ-
ities require the reconciliation of communication among speakers in the group, while the
realization of activities stimulates the development of individual communicative skills.
The later are an important constituent of the civic competencies, as well as their cognitive
component which refers to the understanding of political processes and rules and norms
of civic agency. Within this framework, we studied the understanding of the process of
group decision-making and the concepts of group solidarity in adolescents in relation to
the school context. We examined as well how competent for public action adolescents per-
ceived themselves and how their teachers saw them.
An integral part of civic identity represents the individual beliefs and attitudes to-
wards social groups and their relations in the society. They are developed in the interac-
tions with other people, that are members of different social groups, and partly influenced
by the individual socio-cognitive abilities. In adolescence, the knowledge of different so-
cial groups and the characteristic relations among them in the specific social community
are improved. Hence, growing up in each specific social context substantially determines
the youth civic identity. In the nationally based countries, such as Slovenia, the ethnici-
ty is surely an essential element that determines citizenship. Changes in the modern west-
ern societies are connected to migration and the challenge of involvement of members of
other ethnicities in everyday life. Slovenia is also facing the challenge of multiculturalism.
Therefore, in order to study the formation of civic identity in adolescents we focused on
their definition of ethnic identity and their attitudes towards other ethnic groups and in-
tercultural relations, as well as their attitudes towards people from other social categories.
The attitudes towards different social groups are articulated in relation to the social iden-
tity of the individual. We assumed that they would give us information about adolescents’
recognition of social relations and their own positioning in the social structure based on
their identification with specific social group. The later also determines the acquisition of
normative beliefs and attitudes, therefore it could be assumed that the adolescents’ atti-
tudes towards social groups would reflect the specific social relations in Slovene cultural
