Active Citizenship and Social Cybernetics

摘要

@@ I. Introduction Active citizenship, stronger communities and partnerships have been key themes in community empowerment programmes and also in social and political debates in England in recent times (Civil Renewal Agenda 2003, The Big Society 2010).This paper analyses these themes from the political theory and social cybernetics perspectives.Their integration will help to observe the relationship between them and the learning required for a sustainable bottom up community empowerment structure and effective action.The argument starts by recognising the emergence of organisations from our relations, which improve the knowledge, skill and confidence of citizens through organizational learning.This paper presents this learning as an essential element in community empowerment programmes and citizenship.Both are subjects of great importance in our current social and philosophical debates, and refer to the rights and responsibilities that we associate with our membership and participation in collectives.The argument starts from recognising us as social beings that construct our identity and fulfil ourselves in relation with others.It is in these relations that generate sense of identity and recognition.