Open AccessThe Gambia: Citizenship and Civic Consciousness
Author(s) -
Fatou Janneh
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
studies in social science research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2690-0793
pISSN - 2690-0785
DOI - 10.22158/sssr.v2n3p96
Subject(s) - citizenship , consciousness , promotion (chess) , civil society , context (archaeology) , political science , government (linguistics) , citizenship education , public administration , public relations , sociology , politics , law , psychology , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , neuroscience , biology
Citizens are an important component of national development enterprise. This is because citizenship is crucial to the promotion of nationhood. But being a citizen alone means very little if it does not come with certain responsibilities and civic consciousness. Through the historical lens of The Gambia, this paper argues, an understanding of citizenship and civic consciousness is necessary for sustained national development. It draws an interrelation among these concepts. Therefore, supports for responsible citizenship through education and emphasizes education’s role in attaining national development. Also, refers to primary and secondary sources. It uses oral interviews, content analysis of government publications, academic journals, books, and media reports to provide context to the paper. The article suggests some viable strategies for sustainable national development in The Gambia such as free and fair election, informed citizenry, visionary leadership and vibrant civil society organizations.