Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Theorizing Citizenship and Evaluating Public Achievement

2000; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 33; Issue: 03 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s1049096500061679

1537-5935

R. W. Hildreth,

Youth Development and Social Support

Researcher (R): How has doing Public Achievement (PA) changed the way you think about yourself?Casey (pseudonym for an elementary school student): I am less lonely now that I have done Public Achievement.R: Really, that's interesting, what is it in PA makes you less lonely?Casey: Well, people used to think that I am kinda weird here, and I am different. I like playing in the woods and stuff by myself and doing my own kind of stuff.R: And people think of you as less weird when you do PA?Casey: Yeah, they even give awards to kids like me in PA.R: Wow! It sounds like you are a leader in PA.Casey: Yeah, I really like doing PA.R: Let me see if I am hearing you right, before PA people thought that you were weird, and now that you have done PA, people look at you differently?Casey: Yeah.R: How do you think they look at you differently now?Casey: They look at me as a citizen.R: As a citizen, what does it mean for them to look at you as a citizen?Casey: Like I am more of an equal, they listen to what I have to say.This dialogue, filled with civic promise, is typical of the many conversations I have had with young participants in reflecting upon their experiences in Public Achievement.