Asian Students’ Citizenship Values: Exploring Theory by Reviewing Secondary Data Analysis

It has been argued that “Asian values” in general and Asian citizenship values in particular are distinctive to the region. A range of theoretical literature has advanced this view. Scholars have referred to an “Asian modernity,” reflecting regional citizenship values across time and borders. This departs from the largely Western idea of a set of universal democratic values that are characteristic across countries and has important implications for citizenship education. This chapter summarizes empirical analyses that have used IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009 data to explore “Asian” citizenship values, their extent, and their meaning. The results suggest that diversity rather than uniformity characterizes students’ citizenship values in five Asian societies. Within and across these societies there are varying levels of endorsement of citizenship values (including traditional values), and support for civic engagement. This chapter highlights several ways of thinking about Asian citizenship values and suggests an ongoing research agenda to address the diversity that characterizes the region.