Democratic citizenship of children in elementary school
This article analyzes the social representations of children’s citizenship held by elementary teachers of the province of Quebec involved in civic education. Based on their narratives of practices, we analyze how they construct a social representation of children’s citizenship differentiated from that of adults. Based on emerging themes from interviews, we have identified the dimensions from which they portray children’s citizenship. The role of school, adult authority, peer socialization, children’s political agency and social change emerged from the interviews and give meaning to their representation of children and the place they hold in a democratic society. This article contributes to knowledge in sociology of childhood and its applications in education for democratic citizenship.