About CiCe
A brief introduction to the CiCe Network
Children's Identity and Citizenship in Europe (CiCe) is a network of Higher Education lecturers and researchers supported by the European Commissions' Life Long Learning Programme.
Since 1998 we have brought together staff who educate teachers, early-years workers, youth workers, social pedagogues and social psychologists, all of whom have an interest in how children and young people learn about our European society.
We have about 100 Universities and Colleges who are members, with over 400 individuals who participate in our activities. CiCe members are found in every country in the Community, plus Iceland and Norway (associate countries) and Turkey (candidate country), as shown in green on the map here:
CiCe Country Members MapOur exciting programme links us together through regular publications; European-wide and regional conferences; and, in working groups. Many of our members also link together in research and pedagogic-practice projects.
What we do
We are concerned with the education and training of a range of professionals (teachers, early childhood educators, youth workers, social pedagogues etc) and with their educational role, understanding that they have an important contribution to make to the learning of children and young people.
‘Citizenship’ and ‘identity’ are linked themes that allow focus on a range of inter-connected social sciences (sociology, social psychology, political science, economics, history, cultural studies and social geography, for example) and these perspectives are considered within a European context.
We do not advocate a single view of citizenship, or citizenship of what. However, we are united in believing in the importance of education in this area, holding that properly developed and delivered educational practice on social learning can help promote social integration as well as contribute much to the fight against racism and xenophobia, and to developing essential attitudes and skills of inter-cultural communication, tolerance and understanding within a democratic framework.
To this end we have produced a series of booklets that provide:
- General guidelines on education related to citizenship and identity in Europe
- Professional guidance on citizenship and identity in courses for those who will work with children and young adults
- Guidelines for citizenship education in a global context;
- Guidelines for the design of higher education courses at undergraduate and post-graduate level
- Guidelines for research and research supervision in the area of citizenship and identity
We usual publish four or five Guidelines each year, as well as Conference proceedings.
Together with our Guidelines, presentations from our annual conferences have formed an impressive, and growing, data-base of over 700 research and practice-based papers related to children’s identity and citizenship in Europe.
Our current phase of activity - 2008-11
In our current phase we are working on seven 'strands' of activities. Our strand programmes are carried out by working groups of our members, who write guideline materials that will add to our data-base of resources.
Strands
1. The development of resources for innovation in higher education
2. Life-long learning in citizenship education
3. Guidance on issues in citizenship education
4. Capacity building for future researchers
5. Supporting diversity in working with civil organisations and HE
6. Global issues in citizenship education and identities
7. Inclusion of minority groups and their rights within European identities
Strand 1: The development of resources for innovation in higher education
A standing group will monitor and evaluate current and earlier CiCe publications, translating appropriate materials into a range of accessible teaching and learning objects for use in university courses.
Strand 2 Life-long learning in citizenship education
We aim to create and develop links between our Erasmus network and other sectors of life-long learning that focus on citizenship education and the development of identities.
Strand 3: Guidance on issues in citizenship education
Our first topic (2008-9) is on ‘Informal Education and the Development of Identities’. In 2009-10, a group will produce guidance relating to special educational needs, identity and citizenship.
Strand 4: Capacity building for future researchers
We organise an annual Student Research Conference. Further we will produce guidance for both doctoral students who are researching aspects of citizenship education and identity among young people, and their supervisors.
Strand 5: Supporting diversity in working with civil organisations and HE
We are focussing on how best to establish and sustain links between higher education and NGO’s that are concerned with social understanding, tolerance and respect for human rights.
Strand 6: Global issues in citizenship education and identities
We are working on guidance to support universities and colleges in their teaching about aspects of global and European citizenship.
Strand 7: Inclusion of minority groups and their rights within European identities
This area of activity has arisen from the need to address how minority cultures can maintain their distinctive identities while also being fully incorporated into the concept of a European identity.
Conferences
We will hold a annual Conference, and an annual Student Research Conference, with papers published as proceedings and made available as part of our data-base of resources.
There will also be a number of regional conferences with associated publications.
