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Attitudes Of Undergraduate Youths Toward Democratic Values:Â Implication For Social Studies
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Citizens
are the hearts and soul of democracy and hence there must be active and
informed involvement of the people at all levels of governance as
willing participants in defining and maintaining their democracy. The
youths of any society are a potential force to reckon with in that
society, Nigeria not exempted. They constitute a large chunks of the
decision making groups in the society. The Nigerian youths form the
bulk of the citizens which is the decision making groups in our
democracy. Youths must not be unlookers but the driving force behind
democracy and their participation must not be limited to elections only,
but a continuing engagement with the process of democratic governance.
In line with this assertion, NERDC (2005) agreed that, The role of the
youths as electorates does not just stop at voting. The youths must
constantly engage in the political process in order to strengthen
democracy. Thus, the youths must ensure that government policies truly
represent people’s best interest and not those of a handful of rulers.
Corroborating the above assertion, NOA (2006) posited that, For
democracy to succeed, citizens must be active, not passive, because the
success or failure of the government is their collective
responsibility. The citizens must ensure that they shape the government
of their choosing. The youths can individually, collectively and
through various civil society groups get mobilized and involved in
citizenship and governance by joining political parties and contesting
elective offices wherein they can influence government policies and
programmes. To participate well in democratic activities, the youths
must possess a good grapse of democratic values which will aid, guide
and direct their conducts in the discharge of their civic
responsibilities. In line with this, NOA(2006) asserts that: “For
democracy to be sustained, it is essential that citizenry possess the
requisite skills, demonstrate the values, and display the behaviours
that accord democracyâ€. That is democracy is nurtured and sustained
only when democratic values are rooted in the minds and actions of
citizens (NOA, 2006). Ojo in Iyoha, Aghayere and Oviasuyi (2003)
advanced that “it is required at the level of both elites and the youths
that attitude and behaviour supportive of democratic consolidation be
appropriately developedâ€. Thus, it is crystally clear that the
possession of democratic values is not only essential for youths to
participate in democracy but are essential for them to participate well
and positively. CIVITAS (1991) and Avaro (2001) defined democratic
values “as the fundamental beliefs and constitutional principles which
guide the democratic government put in place in a particular societyâ€.
They are ethos that regulate the extend, level and involvement of
participants in a democracy. CIVITAS and Avaro went ahead to identify
and itemize life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, the common good,
justice, equality, diversity, truth, popular sovereignty and patriotism
as fundamental beliefs. And rule of law, separation of powers,
representative government, check and balances, individual rights,
freedom of religion, federalism and civil control of military as
constitutional principles, both making up the American core democratic
values. Most of these core democratic values identified by CIVTAS and
Avaro were derived from the speeches of American presidents, chiefly by
Thomas Jefferson.
Here in Nigeria, it need to be pointed out that
there is no unanimous agreement as to what constitute our democratic
values or that there is no single document that contain such values as
in the case of the U.S and other older democracies. What we can distill
as our democratic values are excerpts from our constitution, speeches of
past leaders and governments and writings contained in some available
literature. A thorough search and comparison of findings with that of
the U.S core democratic values. The researcher concludes that the
following values of happy life, freedom, equality(one-man-one vote),
justice, toleration of diversity, unity(national integration), national
loyalty(as against sectional loyalty), rule of law, separation of
powers, checks and balances, transparency, patriotism, dignity of human
person, representative government, self-reliance, due process, electoral
credibility(citizens vote must count), common good(acting in the best
interest), popular consent, supremacy of the people, toleration of
opposition and legitimacy are Nigeria’s core democratic values. While
the underlisted values of honesty, discipline, integrity, dignity of
labour, humaneness, mutual respect, orderliness etc. should remain
simply as democratic values or civic values or traits that make
democracy possible (FGN, 1999; Ojo in Iyoha et al, 2003; NERDC, 2005
& Nnamdi, 2009). So the decision of the youths to participate or not
to participate depends on their awareness adherence and
internationalization of these democratic values and this has serious
consequences on democracy and the general polity. And it is in turn
determined by the factors of or the interplay of political culture,
civic or citizenship education and the political experiences of the
society in question. Ojo in Iyoha, et al (2003) advanced that “the lack
of development of democratic attitude (values) is one major obstacle
that has mar democratic consolidation in Nigeria. Thus, it is the
obstacle to youths positive participation in our democracyâ€. However,
Nigerian youths have contributed immensely to the growth and development
of their various communities and the country in general. Their
struggle and move have always been a sacrificial one which outcomes are
not only their selfish interest alone but for the generality of the
people (Aghayere in Iyoha, et al, 2003). Aghayere (2007) further
asserts that, Nigerian youths, particularly Nigerian students, have been
known for their active participation in nation building. Their
sustained struggles and agitation against colonial exploitation and
domination of the political system, amongst others, paved the way for
the termination of colonial rule and attainment of independence. The
youths also played important roles of facilitating the democratization
of Nigeria (demilitarization of Nigeria). Their selfless activities
largely contributed to the enthronement of democratic rule that
culminated in the 1979 and 1983 civilian rule in Nigeria. The youths
protest that greeted the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential
election cannot go unmentioned. Contributing to this, NOA (2006) also
identified other areas of youths positive participation in democratic
governance. These it outlined to include the following activities,
Meeting with political officials to express their concerns and desires,
petitioning and demonstrating peacefully, voting, registering,
contesting elective offices, demanding accountability from elected
representatives, scrutinizing and criticizing government policies,
writing articles in newspapers, boycotts and labour unions strikes. In
addition to these, the youths also served as Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, provided services or items (electoral
materials) to INEC as self employed youths and defended their vote
casted when results were hijacked by political warlords. On the other
hand, most of the actions and involvement of Nigerian youths have
portrayed negative influence on our democracy and the polity in
general. In line with this view, Ojo in Iyoha, et al (2003) pointed out
that, Much of the deviance in political behaviour can be traced to the
youths and are correctly attributed to lack of a democratic attitude of
mind. The ultimate manifestation of the absence of a democratic
attitude of mind is electoral rigging, intolerance of political dissent,
alternative or opposing viewpoints. He asserts further that “both the
elites and youths have surprisingly shown weak commitment to basic
symbols and values of democracyâ€. Hence, there is serious manifestation
of greed, inordinate ambition to win power, thuggery, dishonesty,
personalization of political/public offices, insincerity, disrespect for
others, intolerance etc in our national polity. The disposition that
forms democratic ethos are not inherited or passed down through the
genetic mode; it is required that each generation of society learn civic
facts, explore democratic ideas and values and connect such concepts to
the responsibility of citizenship. Such disposition must be fostered
and internalized by word, study and by power of example. It is in this
regard social studies as a school subject is highly imperative in
fostering these learnings and to sustain our nascent democracy. The many
years of military rule in Nigeria have been marred by uncivil political
behaviours that ranged from political apathy to electoral fraud. The
attendant effect has been lack of popular participation, and
disengagement of many Nigerians, particularly youths, from political
processes. These developments suggest weak civil support for democratic
values and institutions. The focus of this study is to ascertain the
extent to which youths are aware/unaware, have positively/negatively
internalized these democratic values in the discharge of their civic
duties and more importantly, the extent to which social studies
education can help to learn or unlearn these values in youths. As
pointed out earlier that democracy is nurtured and sustained only when
democratic values are rooted in the minds and actions of citizens.
Civic and citizenship education, which are vital aspects of social
studies is essential in the inculcation and entrenchment of these vital
knowledge, values and actions in citizenry. This brings to mind the
definition of social studies given by Kissock (1981) when he defined
social studies as a programme of study which a society use to instill in
students the knowledge, skills, values, and actions it considers
important according to the relationship human beings have with each
other, their world and themselves (Iyamu and Onyeson, 1991). To
Kissock, social studies can be used to instill in learners those
desirable attitudes and actions (i.e. democratic attitudes and values)
that a society feels desirable to its survival as a people.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This research work sought to assess the attitude of undergraduate youths toward democratic values and the implication these would have on social studies education in Nigeria. The youths of Nigeria has been confirmed to form the bulk of the citizens which is the decision making group in the society. The lack of a democratic attitude of mind has been identified as the major obstacle that has mar democratic consolidation in Nigeria. Thus, both elites and youths have been observed to surprisin ... Continue reading---
