Geographic Education and Citizen Participation: The Project We Propose!

Abstract

From the transition between the 18th and 19th centuries, the teaching of Geography emphasized the description of large global spaces, aligned with a rationalist perspective suitable for shaping expansionist elites. In the 19th century, this discipline fostered identification with the nation-state through the concept of territory, promoting a conformist form of citizenship. The following century, marked by two world wars and the Cold War, continued these educational traditions. The current century introduces the social appeal of participatory and multi-scalar territorial construction. The Nós Propomos!/ We Propose! Project embraces the challenge of fostering committed and proactive participation in territorial citizenship. Its methodological simplicity (problem identification by pupils, fieldwork, presentation, and sharing of proposals) ensures its applicability even in educational peripheries. The international expansion of the project demonstrates that it provides an alternative educational response, influencing educational practices beyond the boundaries of Nós Propomos!