THE UTAH AMICUS

Creating a Civically-Engaged Society
by Salt Lake County Chair Megan Risbon

“I don’t do traditional politics, but my service work
is political,” explained one college student. This is
a common refrain by college students as they describe
the work they are doing in communities and asked about
the connection of that work to politics. When the
student elaborated on her work, she explained that she
was involved in organizing students against
sweatshops, lobbying at the legislature to replace the
Native American mascot at her school, and volunteering
to teach English as a second language to new
immigrants. Yet, she was adamantly opposed to
conventional politics and did not want her work to be
categorized as such.

Volunteerism among college students has steadily
increased over the years. One study has shows that up
to 82% of all college students are doing some form of
volunteer work. Unfortunately, voter participation is
quickly decreasing--only 28% of 18-24 year olds voted
in the 2000 elections.

Students who participate in community service are
often unaware their work is political, typically
because they limit their definition of politics to the
electoral processes and interest group advocacy.
Students often shudder when they hear the word
‘politics’, as it conjures up images of inauthentic
politicians and power corrupted.

However, when students serve in their community,
bridging indifferences and altering its balance of
power, they understand that, at this level of agency,
their work is political. When politics is defined “as
the relational work of redistributing power and
resources, negotiating differences, strengthening
communities, and working together with others to
influence or alter societal institutions,” then the
connection between service and politics can be made
more readily.

While many students see their service as an
alternative to conventional political activity, many
students, especially those deeply involved, are also
describing service as an alternative politics – an
alternative form of political activity.

Service, in itself, can be political. Whether it is
changing communities through direct service or
motivating someone to address community problems
through more conventional means, it is still a way to
create change. And, most importantly, they are
seeking a consistency across their experience of
direct service, inner reflections and political
activity. They reject as inauthentic calls to action
at any level that violate this consistency—and for
students deeply engaged in service, the touchstone of
that integrity is their relationships with people in
the communities they serve.

Students need to become more civically engaged. All
significant social change was brought about by citizen
action. Citizens must be aware not only of problems
that exist but also that there are possibilities to
diminish these problems. A required “Civics for
Democracy” course at the high school and college level
would be a vibrant civics course in which students
learn about citizen participation in US history, the
skills of citizen action and the practical application
of these tools to improve their schools and
communities. It would be different from other courses
because it teaches not just a civics history but shows
students through action that citizenship involves more
than freedoms and liberties. They will be able to
imagine a world better by their involvement in it.
They will gain experience and confidence to stay
active and continued involvement throughout their
lives.

If students are already participating in community
service, all we need to do is to bridge the gap
between service and political change. We provide the
forum for them and they carry it out. In order to be
a civically engaged society, we need to bridge the gap
between politics and service.