🌦️ Unit 1, Lesson 4: Civic Engagement
Read the texts below. When you have finished reading, use the grid and write in your own words how the three terms - civic engagement, volunteerism, and service learning are similar and dissimilar.
Education aims to bring about positive changes in our behavior. It helps us try to change our lives as well as the society we live in. Education that does not illuminate our minds or does not inspire us to work for the community is not complete at all. Education is not all about getting grades or receiving certificates- we use education to make life better. We are expected to apply the knowledge, skills and values that we learn in a classroom in our engagement with the world that lies outside. And we can do so in many different ways. Let's have a look at how education works.
Learners' civic engagement is highly appreciated all over the world. Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life (the public life of the citizens as contrasted with private or personal life) of the community using knowledge, skills, values and motivation. Civic engagement promotes the quality of life in a community by contributing to the improvement of health and wellbeing of the people.
Civically engaged individuals recognize themselves as members of a larger social community and are concerned about civic issues. They consider themselves responsible citizens who take action or raise their voices against injustice, discrimination and other forms of social ills .
In civic engagement, issues of public concern are crucial. Civic engagement includes individual or group activities to protect public interests and change the way the community values itself. For example, if you are protesting against any unjust decision of the local municipality such as raising taxes or an act that might work against people's interests, you are civically engaged and your action is considered a civic engagement. This protest can be done in different ways such as organizing rallies, collecting signatures, making human chains, writing petitions, etc. You can also help control traffic in front of a school, help children to cross the roads, work in a team to clean a park or a sea beach. You can also give some services to elderly people. These are all examples of civic engagement as what you do directly affects the community.
When civic engagement is a part of an academic programme, and the learners' engagement is assessed following a scale, then it is called service learning. It involves the application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and then making a complete plan of action i.e. preparing a budget, starting the process of implementation, involving people and activating operational strategies. When civic engagement is spontaneous but irregular and not a part of any academic programme, it is considered volunteerism.
Write definitions or points of comparison here...
Write definitions or points of comparison here...
Write definitions or points of comparison here...
Scenario 1__________________: A group of college students were watching television news in their hostel. They were touched by the plight of the flood affected people in Sunamgonj. All the rivers and water bodies there had overflowed their banks because of the onrush of flood water from the hills beyond our border. Their homes, haats, bazars, shops, and crop lands were under several feet of water. The local administration had rescued the people and accommodated them in schools that were on higher grounds. Villagers in the nearby areas were helping these people in all possible ways. Yet, ensuring drinking water, cleanliness and hygiene was a big challenge. The schools had toilets but these were clearly not enough. Seeing this situation, Ahmed, Swapan, Rakib, and Niladri quickly decided to go to Sunamgonj and work for the flood victims. But to do that they needed money which they did not have.
They began by pooling their own contributions and talked with their classmates, teachers and local law makers and civil society members for assistance. Everyone came forward to help them. Some guardians also contributed. Their collection was not bad - about Taka 3,00,000- with which they could provide some substantial help to the flood victims. They could buy dry food like high protein biscuits, gur (molasses), chira (beaten rice), drinking water, water purification tablets, toilet cleaners and liquid soaps. Their priority was senior citizens, who were over 70 years of age and children. They stayed there for more than a week and then came back after government agencies took over and some flood affected people started going back home. When the four friends were back in their town, they seemed to have lost some weight, but were happy and satisfied that their efforts had been immensely rewarded.
Scenario 2_____________________:
Alex, an eleven-year-old boy from California was watching TV at home with parents when he came across the news of severe winter weather conditions in a remote town in Romania. The news that many people in the town had no proper heating in their homes and were facing serious health hazards made the boy upset. He compared the comfort he was enjoying in his nicely heated house and the distressing condition the Romanian people were in, and felt ashamed. He thought their eyes looked so vacant and lifeless.
Alex was not an outgoing boy in his school and mostly kept to himself. Teachers were worried about how the introvert boy would do in the exams. The students were supposed to do something for the community in whatever ways possible and their involvement was to be continually monitored and assessed. So far, Alex hadn't been able to set any example of doing something for his community. So when he came to his teacher with a video clip of the news report and expressed his interest to do something for the winter affected people in the Romanian town, the teacher was surprised. How come! she thought. But she became increasingly attentive as Alex presented his case. The boy was very emotional when he said - "We must do something for these people. The kids are like us. We cannot live here in comfort leaving them in such distress."
Alex's plea touched the teacher. She wanted to know what he had planned. He told her that he had talked to others in the class and they all would like to donate a month of their pocket money for these poor fellows to save their lives. The teacher then guided the class to take up a project. The boys, with the help of the teacher, worked it out. They contacted the local municipality in the Romanian town and expressed an interest to work for them. They also contacted their own lawmakers who also contributed to their fund. Then a small team led by the teacher went to Romania. They spent a couple of weeks with the people, helped them put heating in their houses, supply them with sufficient blankets and food. The school authority monitored the whole process from the first to last. They warmly welcomed them back. Everyone was proud of the students who had made and carried out their own plan, helped the people in their need, stood beside them to give mental and emotional support and came back home as young heroes.
Necessary Words and Phrases
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| grid (Noun) |
IPA: /ɡrɪd/ Bengali: কাঠামো; আড়াআড়ি ও উল্লম্ব রেখার ফ্রেমওয়ার্ক Synonyms: Chart, Table, Matrix, Framework |
The teacher asked the students to fill the answers in the grid. |
| bring about (Phrasal Verb) |
IPA: /brɪŋ əˈbaʊt/ Bengali: ঘটানো; সৃষ্ট করা Synonyms: Cause, Result in, Lead to, Effect, Produce |
The new policy will bring about significant changes in education. |
| illuminate (Verb) |
IPA: /ɪˈluːməˌneɪt/ Bengali: আলোকিত করা; ব্যাখ্যা করা Synonyms: Enlighten, Clarify, Shed light on, Educate, Make clear |
The teacher used examples to illuminate the complex concept. |
| civic engagement (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈsɪvɪk ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/ Bengali: নাগরিক সক্রিয়তা Synonyms: Community involvement, Public service, Citizen participation |
Civic engagement is essential for a healthy democracy. |
| social ills (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈsoʊʃəl ɪlz/ Bengali: সামাজিক কুফল; সমাজের অসংগতি Synonyms: Social problems, Societal issues, Public maladies, Afflictions |
The organization works to reduce social ills like poverty and discrimination. |
| local municipality (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈloʊkəl mjuːˌnɪsɪˈpæləti/ Bengali: স্থানীয় পৌরসভা Synonyms: City council, Local government, Civic body, Town administration |
The local municipality is responsible for maintaining the streets and parks. |
| human chains (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈhjuːmən tʃeɪnz/ Bengali: মানব শৃঙ্খল Synonyms: Line of people (for protest), Linked arms, Solidarity line |
Protesters formed human chains to demand justice. |
| writing petitions (Verb Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈraɪtɪŋ pəˈtɪʃənz/ Bengali: পিটিশন লেখা Synonyms: Drafting appeals, Filing requests, Composing official demands |
The villagers are writing petitions to improve local facilities. |
| implementation (Noun) |
IPA: /ˌɪmplɪmɛnˈteɪʃən/ Bengali: বাস্তবায়ন Synonyms: Execution, Carrying out, Action, Fulfillment, Realization |
The implementation of new rules improved school discipline. |
| operational strategies (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənl ˈstrætədʒiz/ Bengali: কার্যকরী কৌশল Synonyms: Action plans, Execution methods, Tactical approaches, Procedural plans |
The company reviewed its operational strategies to increase efficiency. |
| plight (Noun) |
IPA: /plaɪt/ Bengali: দুঃস্থ অবস্থা; কঠিন পরিস্থিতি Synonyms: Predicament, Difficulty, Trouble, Hardship, Unfortunate state |
The flood victims shared their plight with the media. |
| overflowed (Verb, Past Tense) |
IPA: /ˌoʊvərˈfloʊd/ Bengali: অতিরিক্ত প্রবাহিত হওয়া Synonyms: Spilled over, Flooded, Brimmed over, Run over |
The river overflowed after the heavy rain. |
| onrush of flood water (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈɒnrʌʃ əv flʌd ˈwɔːtər/ Bengali: বানপানির প্রবল স্রোত Synonyms: Surge of water, Rapid influx of floodwater, Sudden deluge |
The onrush of flood water destroyed homes along the riverbank. |
| pooling their own contributions (Verb Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈpuːlɪŋ ðɛr oʊn ˌkɒntrɪˈbjuːʃənz/ Bengali: নিজেদের অবদান একত্রিত করা Synonyms: Combining funds, Sharing resources, Chipping in, Collecting money |
The community improved the school by pooling their own contributions. |
| government agencies (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈɡʌvərnmənt ˈeɪdʒənsiz/ Bengali: সরকারি সংস্থা Synonyms: State departments, Public bodies, Official organizations |
Government agencies conducted inspections after the disaster. |
| took over (Phrasal Verb, Past Tense) |
IPA: /tʊk ˈoʊvər/ Bengali: দায়িত্ব নেওয়া; নিয়ন্ত্রণ গ্রহণ করা Synonyms: Assumed control, Gained authority, Relieved, Superseded |
The senior manager took over the project last month. |
| came across (Phrasal Verb, Past Tense) |
IPA: /keɪm əˈkrɒs/ Bengali: হঠাৎ দেখা; মুখোমুখি হওয়া Synonyms: Encountered, Found, Discovered, Stumbled upon |
While cleaning the attic, she came across old photographs. |
| health hazards (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /hɛlθ ˈhæzərdz/ Bengali: স্বাস্থ্যের ঝুঁকি Synonyms: Health risks, Dangers, Threats to well-being, Perils |
Factories must take precautions to reduce health hazards. |
| distressing condition (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /dɪˈstrɛsɪŋ kənˈdɪʃən/ Bengali: চরম কষ্টের অবস্থা Synonyms: Miserable state, Painful circumstance, Unfortunate situation |
The earthquake survivors were in a distressing condition. |
| kept to himself (Verb Phrase, Past Tense) |
IPA: /kɛpt tuː hɪmˈsɛlf/ Bengali: নিজের মধ্যে থাকা; কাউকে না জানানো Synonyms: Was reserved, Remained isolated, Was introverted, Stayed alone |
He kept to himself during the party. |
| whatever ways (Adjective/Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /wɒtˈɛvər weɪz/ Bengali: যেকোনো উপায় Synonyms: Any method, Any means, In any way possible |
We must try to solve the problem by whatever ways we can. |
| plea (Noun) |
IPA: /pliː/ Bengali: আবেদনা; অনুরোধ Synonyms: Appeal, Entreaty, Request, Petition, Call |
They made a plea for help to the authorities. |
| blankets (Noun) |
IPA: /ˈblæŋkɪts/ Bengali: কম্বল Synonyms: Quilts, Throws, Duvets, Comforters |
The family used thick blankets during the winter night. |
| carried out (Phrasal Verb, Past Tense) |
IPA: /ˈkæriːd aʊt/ Bengali: সম্পন্ন করা; কার্যকর করা Synonyms: Executed, Performed, Implemented, Accomplished |
The government carried out the new education policy efficiently. |
1. Multiple Choice Questions
- What is the core aim of education, as stated in the text?
- To ensure high grades and professional certifications.
- To acquire knowledge and skills for private life only.
- To apply learned values only in the classroom setting.
- To bring about positive changes in our behavior and society.
- According to the text, what is civic engagement contrasted with?
- The quality of life in a community.
- Private or personal life.
- The roles of government agencies.
- Service learning and volunteerism.
- Which of the following activities is presented as an example of civic engagement involving protest?
- Helping children cross the road.
- Giving services to elderly people.
- Organizing rallies against an unjust decision of the local municipality.
- Cleaning a local park spontaneously.
- What kind of individuals consider themselves responsible citizens who raise their voices against injustice and discrimination?
- Academically engaged individuals.
- Those focused on private concerns.
- Civically engaged individuals.
- Individuals concerned only with social ills.
- When is a form of civic engagement called service learning?
- When it is spontaneous and irregular.
- When it is part of an academic program and the learners' engagement is assessed.
- When it only involves collecting signatures and writing petitions.
- When it only focuses on the improvement of health and wellbeing.
- What characterizes an act of volunteerism, as defined in the text?
- It involves preparing a budget and operational strategies.
- It must be monitored and assessed by a school authority.
- It is spontaneous but irregular and not a part of any academic program.
- It requires formal permission from the local municipality.
- Service learning involves planning the action, which includes all of the following EXCEPT:
- Preparing a budget.
- Receiving certificates for participation.
- Starting the process of implementation.
- Activating operational strategies.