CITIZEN COMPETENCIES: DEFINITION, TYPES AND EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The citizenship skills are the set of knowledge and cognitive, emotional and communication skills that allows men and women, whether adults or minors, actively participate in the development of a democratic society. These capacities can be developed in formal educational centers although they are not the only instance where citizenship training can and should be done.

For the acquisition of such skills, the role played, for example, by the family or other sectors of society such as residents' associations, sports and cultural groups, cooperatives and the media, among others, is important.

However, schools and colleges play an irreplaceable role due to the long time that children and young people spend there from an early age. In these centers a simulation of the situations that are experienced in the rest of society is carried out where the robustness of the educational programs and the quality of the teachers are essential.

Broadly speaking, according to the Ministry of National Education of Colombia, training in citizenship skills offers students the necessary tools to interact with other human beings in an increasingly comprehensive and fair way. In this sense, the aim is for children to be able to solve problems that arise in society on a daily basis.

Citizen competencies allow each person to contribute to peaceful coexistence, participate actively and responsibly in democratic processes and value plurality and differences both in their closest environments and in their community.

In terms of history, concern about issues related to citizenship competences has been going on for many years. The first antecedents go back to the times when human beings began to live in increasingly complex societies that forced them to form.

Already in the ancient world there are testimonies of these concerns, such as that of the great Greek philosopher Aristotle, who claimed that the citizens of a State should be educated in accordance with the constitution.

In his opinion, the common things of a society should be the object of a shared exercise: “It should not be thought that citizens belong to themselves, but everyone to the city, since each citizen is a part of the city, and care of each part is oriented, naturally, to take care of everything ”.

Types and examples of citizenship skills

In relation to the above, the Colombian educational authorities have established three large groups of citizen competencies that represent a fundamental dimension for the exercise of the rights and duties of citizens:

1- Coexistence and peace

They are those that emphasize the consideration of others and, especially, the consideration of each person as a human being. For first to third year of schooling, they would apply to:

• I am aware that boys and girls have the right to receive good treatment, love and care. (Knowledge competence).
• I identify the basic emotions (joy, anger, sadness, fear) both in myself and in other people. (Emotional competence).
• I make my feelings and emotions known through different forms and languages, such as gestures, words, drawings, theatrical performances, games, etc.). (Emotional and communicative skills).

From fourth to fifth grade of schooling:

• I apologize to those who have affected me and I can forgive when they offend me. (Integrative competence).
• I express my positions and listen to those of others, in conflict situations. (Communicative competence).
• I collaborate in the care of animals, plants and the environment of my close surroundings. (Integrative competence).

From sixth to seventh grade, citizenship skills are reflected in:

• I propose myself as a mediator in conflicts between schoolmates, when they authorize me, fostering dialogue. (Integrative competence).
• I understand the importance of sexual and reproductive rights and analyze their implications in my own case. (Knowledge and integrative skills).
• I warn about the risks of ignoring traffic signs, driving at high speed or having consumed alcohol and carrying weapons. I am aware of what steps to take to act responsibly if I witness or am involved in an accident. (Integrative competence).

And from eighth to ninth grade of schooling you can learn how:

• I am aware of eventual dilemmas that I may face in which different rights or different values ​​conflict. I analyze possible solution options, considering the positive and negative aspects of each one. (Cognitive competence).
• I understand that conflicts can arise in different types of relationships, including those of a couple, and that it is possible to handle them constructively using the listening tool and understanding the points of view of the other side. (Cognitive and communicative skills).
• Use of constructive tools to channel my anger and face conflicts. (Emotional skills).

2- Participation and democratic responsibility

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They refer to those competencies oriented towards decision making in different contexts. In turn, they take into consideration that such decisions must respect both the fundamental rights of individuals, as well as the agreements, norms, laws and the Constitution that govern the life of a community. In practical cases they would be:

• I express my ideas, feelings and interests at school and listen respectfully to those of the other members of the group. (Emotional and communicative skills).
• I make my point of view known when making group decisions in family, among friends, and at school. (Communicative competence).
• I proactively help achieve common goals in the classroom and I recognize the importance of standards in achieving those goals. (Integrative competence).
• I am aware of and know how to make use of the student participation mechanisms of my school. (Knowledge and integrative skills).
• I propose different and alternative options when we make decisions in the classroom and in family life. (Communicative competence).
• I properly identify and manage my emotions, such as fear of the unknown, fear of participation, or anger, during group discussions. (Emotional competence).
• I am informed about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its relationship with the fundamental rights enunciated in the Constitution. (Knowledge competence).
• I demand that my authorities, my colleagues and myself, comply with the rules and agreements. (Integrative competence).
• I exercise my freedom of expression and listen with respect to the opinions of others. (Communicative and integrative skills).

3- Plurality, identity and valuation of differences

They are characterized by the recognition and enjoyment of differences, just like human diversity. They are limited by the rights of others. For example:

• I identify and respect the existence of groups with different age characteristics, ethnicity, gender, occupation, place, socioeconomic situation, etc. (Knowledge and cognitive skills).
• I realize the times when, together with my friends or myself, we have made someone feel bad, excluding them, making fun of them or giving them offensive nicknames. (Cognitive skills).
• I realize and appreciate the similarities and differences of the people around me. (Emotional and communicative skills).
• I may be aware of some forms of discrimination in my school or in my community (based on ethnicity, culture, gender, religion, age, economic or social aspects, individual capacities or limitations) and I help with decisions, activities, norms or agreements to avoid them. (Cognitive and integrative skills).
• I sympathize and express empathy in relation to people who are excluded or discriminated against. (Emotional skills).
• I accept that all boys and girls are people with the same value and the same rights. (Knowledge competence).
• I understand and respect that there are many ways to express identities, such as physical appearance, artistic and verbal expression, etc. (Communicative competence).
• I am able to realize that when people are discriminated against, their self-esteem and their relationships with the environment are often affected. (Cognitive skills).
• I critically evaluate my thoughts and actions when I am being discriminated against and can establish if I am favoring or hindering that situation with my actions or omissions. (Cognitive competence).

Types of citizen competencies according to the Ministry of National Education of Colombia

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Additionally, the Ministry of National Education classifies citizenship competencies into five types:

Knowledge

It has to do with the information that children and young people should know and understand in relation to the exercise of citizenship.

Cognitive skills

It competes with the ability to carry out various mental processes, fundamental in the exercise of citizenship, such as the ability to place oneself in the place of the other, the levels of critical analysis and reflection, as well as the identification of the consequences of one's own actions and decisions.

Emotional competencies

They are related to the skills necessary to identify and respond constructively to the personal emotions that we have and those of others, such as having empathy with our interlocutors or those around us.

Communication skills

It is about developing capacities to listen carefully to the arguments of others and process them properly even if they are not shared, as well as building capacities to express ourselves adequately without attacking or overpowering.

Integrative competences

They articulate the previous competences to face holistically the problems that may arise through the use of knowledge, creative generation of new ideas, as well as emotional and communication skills.

References

1. Basic standards of citizenship competencies Training for citizenship Yes it is possible! Guides Series No. 6. Ministry of National Education. mineducacion.gov.co. Retrieved on 02/28/2017
2. Guidelines for the institutionalization of citizen competencies. Primer 1. Ministry of National Education.mineducacion.gov.co. Retrieved on 02/28/2017
3. Citizen competences. Presentation of the Ministry of National Education. es.slideshare.net. Retrieved on 02/28/2017.
4. The formation of civic competences. Presentation of the Ministry of National Education es.slideshare.net. Retrieved on 02/28/2017
5. What are civic competences? CHAUX, Enrique. Weekly magazine. colombiaaprende.edu.co. Retrieved on 02/28/2017.