The (embodied) citizen – Exploring young people’s possibilities to engage in the wellbeing of others

The intention with this article is to contribute to discussions regarding the role of education to combat different forms of violence towards others, such as discrimination, bullying, oppression and so forth. This is done by exploring the relationship between how young people describe their everyday responses to other people’s life circumstances and the image of a citizen who engages in other people’s wellbeing presented in the ICCS report. In interpreting the relationship between the report and the young peoples’ narratives, Kristeva’s understandings of politics and the political have been fruitful. The concepts direct attention to embodied moments that are not captured in politics while at the same time they convey a message about young people’s possibilities of promoting the wellbeing of others in the field of the political. Hence, Kristeva’s interpretation of the concepts provides a language that makes it possible to think and hence approach the educational desire to stimulate young people’s engagement in the wellbeing of others otherwise (not instead).

Författare: Silvia Edling

The (embodied) citizen – Exploring young people’s possibilities to engage in the wellbeing of others

Utbildning & Demokrati, Vol. 21, nr 1 2012