Children as Citizens

Abstract

SUMMARY This article makes the case for a definition of citizenship that emphasizes the civic participation activities of young people rather than an age at which they receive formal recognition as citizens. It provides a conceptual framework and some of the arguments which favor a definition of this type, and draws upon examples from the youth service, service-learning, and youth in decision-making fields from the United States and other countries, which support the notion that children are not “citizens in the making” but instead social agents who already participate in building strong and democratic communities.