Significance of Civics 2

Course title: Civics & Community Engagement
Course Code: HUM 208

Teachers: Noor Ul Huda
Topic:
Significance of Civics
The significance of Civics are as follows:
1. Promoting social Values:
Social values are a set of principles that are morally acceptable by society.
These principles are created by the dynamics of the community, institutions
in the society, traditions, and cultural beliefs of the people in the society.
The laws are a guide for people in society on how to conduct themselves
appropriately. Values plays a crucial role in shaping social norms,
interactions and an overall structure of the society. Social values include
justice, freedom, respect, community and accountability.
A successful social value strategy involves active engagement with stake
holders. Social values is not tangible like financial values is. It is collective
term for everything that matter to communities, like the creation of jobs,
supporting communities’ health and wellbeing. The improvement of local
environment and strengthening of social / community bonding.
2. Character Building:
Character building is an effort that builds or improves upon an individual’s
mental and moral characteristics. In communities strong and quality
character is important component in building individuals who are
responsible, care for their environment, and believe in democracy and
justice.
Following are the characteristics of a “Community of character”:
a. Acceptance: Accepting others for who they are, including others.
b. Appreciation: Grateful and thankful for the support that others give you.
Generous in recognizing the contributions of other members of
community.
c. Cooperation: work with others to make a peaceful community. Listen to
others ideas and suggestions. Compromise and negotiate to solve the
problems and difference of opinions.
d. Empathy: Compassionate, caring and kind. Walking in others shoes to
understand others.
e. Fairness: Being Just. Making decisions based upon the whole picture,
not just one sided.
f. Integrity: Behaving ethically, honorably, being honest, loyal and
trustworthy, standing up for right, even when it is hard.
g. Optimism: Believing that challenges are opportunities, choose to see
goodness and hope for future.
h. Perseverance: Working hard and not giving up. Finish with what you
begin with.
i. Respect: honoring myself and others through my words and action. I
support our diversity of beliefs. Treating everyone with dignity.
j. Responsibility: I am accountable for the decisions I make. I realize that
my decisions impact my community, honoring commitments.
3. Awareness of rights and duties:

Awareness of rights and duties of individuals in community is important.
Inclusion of people in different activities. Awareness regarding what their
rights are actually, then they will be able to perform their roles and duties in
communities.
4. Knowledge of problems:
Problems can arise in any part of the community and come from any aspect
of community life. For example: access to clean drinking water, domestic
violence, lack of funding for schools, inadequate emergency services,
inequality, lack of jobs, transportation issues. Knowledge plays crucial role
in helping communities to find solutions to practical problems in several
ways.
First knowledge provides the foundation for understanding the root cause of
the issues, allowing for more targeted and effective problem solving.
Secondly it informs individuals and communities to make informed
decisions leading to better outcomes. Additionally knowledge enables the
development of latest and innovative technologies and approaches that can
address practical challenges.
Lastly, sharing knowledge fosters collaboration and collective problem
solving, leading to more comprehensive and sustainable solutions for society
as a whole.
5. Success of Democracy:
Democracy is popular sovereignty – in Abraham Lincoln’s words,
‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’. At its heart is the
concept of the population choosing a government through regular, free, and
fair elections.
The three conditions for the success of democracy are:
Political Freedom: People should have the freedom of speech and

expression so that they can share their views and criticize the government.
Economic Equality: A complete economy is not possible but the basic
necessities of lives can be fulfilled, because democracy without economic
equality is meaningless. The resources must reach every person.
Democracy has played a vital role in the story of civilization, helping
transform the world from power structures of monarchy, empire, and
conquest into popular rule, self-determination, and peaceful co-existence.
Social Equality: Discrimination of people on the basis of caste, colour,

religion and gender should be prohibited. Only then can we lead to a
successful democracy.
6. Political consciousness:
Political consciousness can be defined as a way an individual acts, responses
and contributes in his society. Such actions of an individual are said to be
guided by a commitment towards justice, human rights along with
identifying and understanding the prevalent inequity in power in political,
economic and social systems.
The term Politics is derived from the “Polis” a Greek word which means
city-state, that is, politics deals with the life within a community. Therefore,
political consciousness inculcates a person's sense of duty towards their
community and contributing for its common good. Furthermore, it is about
standing up against injustice and also all such systems and structure within
the society by promoting togetherness and harmony.
According to Paulo Freire a Brazilian educator, political consciousness is
said to work as a tool as well as an objective. From the perspective of a tool,
political consciousness urges the society to critically analyze the distribution
of power dynamics on different levels and as for as an objective, it works as
building block to create an informed and sustained participation of citizen to
hold accountable powerful interests.
A politically conscious society is the one, which is free of self-doubt which
is often observed to be planted through social evils like discrimination,
corruption. Such a society is able to recognize the power held by each of its
citizens.

Significance of Civics 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Significance of Civics 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Significance of Civics 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Course title: Civics & Community Engagement

Course Code: HUM 208

3. Awareness of rights and duties:

Political Freedom: People should have the freedom of speech and

Social Equality: Discrimination of people on the basis of caste, colour,

You might also like