It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.
- Frederick Douglass |
There are many reasons for the differences in political knowledge between age groups. These differences separate them from being informed or otherwise referred to as “good” citizens. It is frowned upon that children lack the general knowledge adults have regarding history, geography and politics. According to the Citizens Knowledge of Politics article, people are mostly uninformed when it comes to history, geography and politics. General knowledge is crucial when making an impact on society. Since people lack it, they are not able to actively participate in the campaigns. Which can be disadvantageous not only to themselves but society. Some factors include education, engagement, social class, lack of knowledge and resources. This includes upper, middle and lower class. Which all have varying opinions regarding their political views. One main reason is taxation; amongst other factors. It causes people to pay attention because it involves their money. As far as education goes, some people are highly educated, well educated, fairly educated or not at all. The educational challenges are detrimental to children. This is because general knowledge is what they use in the future. Not only to make their own decisions; but political and electoral as well. Children receive education and guidance throughout schooling. The school system, curriculum and educators provide the knowledge they receive; which carries throughout their life. If it included more material regarding these matters; the problem with lacking the general knowledge would be minimized. Some children lack how-to knowledge which includes how to vote, sources to obtain information, and who to talk to. Just by lacking a small amount of knowledge, it limits their capabilities to be considered a “good citizen” or actively participate. Non academic demands have also been negatively affecting the amount children are able to learn about these topics. This is done by incorporation of unnecessary materials into the curriculum or school system. It withdrawals useful skills and information that could be learned. This area of education is mainly blamed for the lack of general knowledge children have compared to others. Instead of learning useful information that could help in the future; they’re requiring other demands. Citizens who are unaware of politics, geography and history will be voting for those who impact the economy and society immensely. “To be a good citizen in a democracy, you need to be well informed in history and geography”. Therefore, being aware and informed would positively influence their decision. According to the article, children’s education on politics, history and geography is crucial to the future. Where they will be faced with challenges that require them to utilize the information. Some believe that this knowledge is important because they will eventually be voting for influential candidates. Engagement is another variable of the differences in political knowledge between ages. In the textbook it says,“enhancing what we know about politics and what we value should make us more effective in knowing how to behave politically(p.16)”. If it is not placed into children or adults lives they could be ignorant to it in general. The importance of learning about, or being an active citizen could be misunderstood. Although, if those involved were proactive about their learning; they would be able to actively and informatively engage. Overall, there are many variables that can be held accountable for the difference in knowledge on politics amongst age groups.
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AuthorMy name is Alexandra Ross and I will be posting all of my assignments on this page. Please feel free to comment and ask questions! Archives
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