Voices and Values: Citizenship in Asia

The Access Asia text Voices and Values- Citzenship in Asia (Beth Gilligan 1998) adds a dimension to our understanding of the meaning and nature of citzenship held and understood by countries in the Asian region.

The text is a magazine style text voicing opinions and reports of grass roots action from the Asian region.

Voices and Values engages secondary students in exploring the traditional and emerging values underpinning perceptions and expectations associated with citizenship across Asian nations and cultures. Topics include family and community interaction, student participation in school government, sex roles, environmental and demographic issues and the question of national identity. The text challenges students and teachers to re-interpret and analyse values, rights and responsibilities from a range of perspectives. Many of these themes are also reflected in the Civics and citizenship education priority of CSF 2000. By integrating the two concepts teachers are also using a teaching approach which helps address some of the `crowded curriculum concerns` so common in schools.

Additional Resources

1999 is the celebration of the 50th anniversary year since the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 come into being on 26th January 1949. Next year there will be additional rich material available for teachers through government sources to add a dimension to any discussion on the nature of citizenship in Australia, as well as curriculum implementation programs and professional development. (www.imi.gov.au)

Using Voices and values

The chapters in Voices and Values all give lively accounts of the ideas and experiences of young people in Asia.

• Caring for the Earth tunes in to which environmental problems concern young people of the Asian region and presents some positives models of the ways young people are trying to address these significant issues.
• Indonesian unity and diversity looks at which values unify the people of Indonesia and opportunities for Indonesians to learn and demonstrate mutual cooperation.
• National identity and National Symbols presents way for teachers to investigate key components of nationalism in various Asian regions.
• Japanese style reflects on how the Japanese school systems are designed to teach students personal and community responsibilities, and asks questions about changing values in Asian cultures.
• Chinese family matters investigates the influence of traditional Chinese families on today`s families and the effects of recent government policies

* Reproduced with permission

Ethos Annual

| 1998

pp55

Voices and Values is an engaging magazine that integrates studies of Asia and civics and citizenship principles in one- student friendly, all-colour and relatively inexpensive resource. The publication is pitched at the lower secondary level although many upper primary students could work with it comfortably. Beth Gilligan and the project team have prudently selected or adapted segments from other publications on Asia where, in many cases, young people from a variety of countries offer personal views of citizenship. The result is a new resource that draws together gender, multicultural and global perspective`s and explores SOSE values and attitudes of democratic process, social justice and ecological sustainability. Several sections focus specifically on national identity, environmental stewardship and traditional and contemporary beliefs and practices in Indonesia, Japan and China. The magazine could, therefore, serve to extend existing specific studies of those issues or countries, enable investigation of the similarities and differences of the principles of active citizenship between the countries of Asia, or enable comparisons of principles in those countries with principles in Australia, as expressed in a range of recently published resources on civics and citizenship in Australia.

In several places, a little more detail establishing the wider context or background to a particular topic might have assisted students, or the many small segments tend to a busy layout. However, the decision to provide information in brief allows for one of the magazine`s strengths - its diversity of topics. Evenso, the key questions at the start of each section, and the suggested activities at the end provide ample scope for research or for students to creatively extend and demonstrate their understandings of citizenship in the countries of Asia in a variety of ways. The many appealing photographs could also form the basis of discussion and activities, and the inclusion of a map of Asia on the back page is a useful quick reference.

* Reproduced with permission

Rosalie Triolo, Faculty of Education, Monash University

AGORA Vol 34, No 3, Dec 1999 | & AGORA Vol 34, No 4, 1999

This resource is a full colour magazine-style booklet with a number of case studies that allow secondary students to explore a variety of aspects of citizenship within diverse societies across Asia. It is divided into six short chapters. Each chapter poses two key questions for students. The chapters include factual information and then comments from young people relating to the focus questions. There are also interesting facts relating to the topic, which can be found in highlighted boxes titled Did You Know? At the end of each section there are a number of student activities. These include comprehension questions, investigation and analysis tasks, communication activities and role-plays.

Chapter One: Citizens count examines what citizenship means to different people Asia and raises the question of Asian Values: Do they exist?

Chapter Two : Caring for the Earth examines which environmental issues concern young people in Asia and provides some examples of how local communities are responding to particular environmental problems.

Chapter Three : Indonesian Unity in Diversity provides an insight into Indonesia, covering ethnic composition, Indonesian values, Islam in Indonesia and mutual co-operation.

Chapter Four : National Identity provides snippets from constitutions around Asia and looks at symbols and ideals for a number of countries.

Chapter Five : Japanese Style examines the Japanese school system and how it encourages personal and community responsibilities. This chapter also looks at the social concerns of students in Japan and the impacts of a rapidly changing and ageing society.

Chapter Six : Chinese Family Matters looks at the traditional role of the family and the impact of recent government policy initiatives such as the one child policy on Chinese families.

I could immediately identify a number of ways the material and learning activities could be readily incorporated into geography classrooms t support a range of topics. One potential drawback is that many teachers may want to photocopy material to use with students rather than purchasing individual copies. As a result, the impact of some excellent full colour photographs may be lost.

Overall I think this is a resource which will provide SOSE students at level 5 and 6 with an insight into a number of contemporary issues in Asia and challenge them to view these issues from a range of perspectives. With its focus on values, rights and responsibilities Voices and Values: Citizenship in Asia is a great resource to introduce global perspectives and citizenship to students.

*reproduced with permission

Di Boase, Interaction GTAV

Volume 27 | No.4

December 1999