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Civic Pedagogies in Higher Education pp 62–80Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Negotiating Change in Romanian Tertiary Education: Volunteering and Democratic Citizenship

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Abstract

The chapter will explore the intersection between Romania’s tertiary education and the issue of citizenship and democracy. There are many ways universities may foster students’ active citizenship: from voluntary work in community to promoting diversity of students and teaching staff and diversity coursework. This paper argues that for the time being, students’ involvement in voluntary work is the most visible form of civic participation. The main argument being advanced is that despite the reform taking place in both tertiary education and NGO1 sector, volunteering and tertiary education are rather separated in Romania today. Universities provide fewer opportunities for students to exercise active citizenship, whilst the NGO sector is now starting to professionalize its work with volunteers. This paper has a descriptive character, being informed by an unsystematic literature review, interviews with 28 students who volunteer and with NGO staff.

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Authors
  1. Maria-Carmen Pantea
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Counselling, San José State University, USA

    Jason Laker (Professor and Chair) (Professor and Chair)

  2. School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Spain

    Concepción Naval (Dean) (Dean)

  3. University of Rijeka, Croatia

    Kornelija Mrnjaus (Assistant Professor of Education) (Assistant Professor of Education)

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© 2014 Maria-Carmen Pantea

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Pantea, MC. (2014). Negotiating Change in Romanian Tertiary Education: Volunteering and Democratic Citizenship. In: Laker, J., Naval, C., Mrnjaus, K. (eds) Civic Pedagogies in Higher Education. Palgrave Studies in Global Citizenship Education and Democracy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137355591_4

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