Abstract
Building the capacity and knowledge of young people to become active and engaged citizens through civics and citizenship education is common to many liberal democracies. These programs often expose students to concepts and ideas which seek to enhance their understanding of democracy and society, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Civics and citizenship education is also a valuable platform to advance students’ awareness of diversity to foster social cohesion. There has been limited focus on food in civics and citizenship education, both in scholarly research and in real-world educational practices. Yet, food can be an important factor which may help improve civics and citizenship education outcomes, especially in three areas. First, food can be central to environmental and sustainability education (Reid et al., 2021). Second, the preparation and sharing of meals can have significant positive outcomes in building social connections and awareness, and a sense of belonging. Third, food may also be an important way of building students’ understanding about different cultures and traditions. This paper examines the role of food in civics and citizenship education by focusing on Australia, which serves as an ideal case study. As a long-standing liberal democracy with a federated system, the case of Australia provides insights that can be utilised across other jurisdictions. The paper explores existing approaches and potential ways forward in using food to advance students’ social, political and cultural learning.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Education, Civics and citizenship, Young people, Cultures, Politics, Food, Australia
