The Values are important Standards that every person must learn in order to guarantee coexistence Harmonious in society.
Living in society is not easy. Each person is different, thinks differently and not all the time behaves in the same way. Education is responsible for making society live in a climate where respect and freedom reign.
Citizens collaborating in the catastrophe caused by an earthquake in Ecuador.
Therefore, citizen values are the set of guidelines established by society to be able to live in community in a calm and orderly way. They are responsible for directing both social relations and harmonious coexistence among citizens.
In other words, citizen values are all behaviors that make individuals become better people. These are represented in the different ways in which someone expresses their behavior, from the cultural and moral aspect to the affective and social.
They must be instilled by the different institutions in which people in a society participate. The first one is the family, then the school and finally the other institutions where you have a participation.
It is important to emphasize that it is not easy for citizenship education to achieve its objectives until there is a commitment on the part of social and political institutions to promote social inclusion, freedom, equity and the individual rights of the people who make up a society .
You may also like This list of personal values .
Top 15 Citizens' Values
1- Responsibility
This is perhaps the most important citizen value of all. Responsibility has to do with the obligations that every person has with regard to the decisions he makes and with the consequences that they can generate.
Every action that is taken has an impact on society. And responsibility lies in analyzing each of these acts and taking charge of them. It is therefore essential to raise awareness among young people about the consequences that their actions can generate and how they should take responsibility for them.
2- Respect
In order for the conception of responsibility to exist, there must be respect. This is the value that allows a person to recognize, accept and appreciate the qualities that other people have, as well as their rights.
Respect is to understand that beyond 'my rights' and 'my freedoms', there are also the rights and freedoms of others. This value is essential to have a good coexistence and communication with other people.
3- Honesty
People are enabled to distinguish good from evil. This ability is known as 'moral conscience'. Honesty is then a human quality that consists in living and expressing that awareness.
It is basically expressing and behaving with consistency and sincerity. This means that what you say must be aligned with your actions. Being honest shows respect for yourself and for other people.
4- Cooperation
Since citizens' values are the main component of maintaining harmonious social relations, cooperation can not be overlooked. Cooperation is nothing more than the assistance that is offered to carry out a work in common.
It is done to fulfill a shared goal. As with the rest of the values, these are social facts that occur in the environment in which people develop.
5- Solidarity
To live harmoniously in society, solidarity must exist. This value is to help other people regardless of their religion, culture, gender or political position. With the practice of solidarity, social bonds are created that unite the different members of a society.
This value implies having feelings like affection, empathy, a sense of justice and selfless help. In addition, solidarity is what allows concrete actions to be carried out that respond favorably to the needs of fellow citizens.
6- Humility
Another essential value for living peacefully in society is humility. This can be defined as the absence of arrogance. Humble people are characterized by being modest, by expressing respect for others and not feeling more important than others because of their achievements.
This virtue also consists in knowing one's own limitations and weaknesses and acting according to such knowledge. However, the concept of humility is often distorted.
It seems that even if ostentation is set aside, it is not possible to show one's merits, since not everyone is prepared to face what others have achieved.
7- Loyalty
An essential value for harmonious coexistence with others is loyalty. This virtue develops in the consciousness and implies the fulfillment of an acquired commitment even in the face of adverse or changing circumstances.
It is also about being committed to what we believe and to the people in whom we believe. Loyalty is associated with trust. Being loyal means being trustworthy. Who is not loyal can not be a good citizen because his behavior is not in line with the actions that allow a good coexistence in society.
8- Tolerance
The tolerance Is a value closely related to respect. It is about the ability to accept diversity of opinion, social, cultural, ethnic, political and religious. It also has to do with knowing how to listen and accept other people as they are, without judging them.
Thanks to tolerance you can live in a society where the differences of each person, from their thought to their actions, are respected. But despite how much the world and the societies that compose it have evolved, tolerance is a citizen value absent in many places.
9- Justice
Justice is one of the values that has more relation with the harmonious coexistence of citizens. It is based on the set of rules and norms that are established so that there can be adequate relationships between people and institutions.
This is what allows to authorize, prohibit or allow specific actions in the interaction that occurs between individuals and institutions. In short, this value has to do with the conception of what is good for all those who make up the same society.
In practice, its purpose is to recognize what belongs and belongs to each person. Through justice, the rights of individuals are respected, their effort is rewarded and their security guaranteed.
10- Transparency
This value has to do with honesty in the actions that are carried out. It is necessary to understand that actions of common interest, entrusted by relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc. Should be reported to all interested parties.
This implies that you must act clearly without hiding anything. In the case of the rulers of a country, for example, public transparency means that all actions that have an implication in the lives of citizens must be public knowledge.
11- Citizen participation
To participate has to do with the action of getting involved in the activities that are carried out within the society to which it belongs. It is basically"taking part in"all those actions that promote collective well-being.
This value is also the duty of all citizens to contribute to the maintenance of the State and to the development of the country. This is something that is achieved not only through the fulfillment of other citizen duties, but also through the exercise of tax rights.
Citizen participation is what allows a society to improve its living conditions and ensure the resolution of social problems that concern it.
12- Commitment
Commitment is a value that implies compliance with both the laws and agreements reached with someone. To be good citizens, it is essential to have a sense of commitment.
To be committed is to fulfill what was promised, that is, to make the actions go in line with what has been said previously. On the other hand, the commitment to society also has to do with carrying out actions that benefit the set of citizens that make up your community.
It is also important to educate young people about the commitment to study and prepare for life. But not only for them to earn income, but also to provide solutions to the problems that arise in their environment.
13- Punctuality
The punctuality Has to do with the fact of valuing your time and especially of the others. It is also about the ability to complete a task or an obligation before or within the time frame set for it.
This value is seen as a sign of consideration towards the people who are waiting. So much so that in some cultures impuntuality means contempt for another person's time and can be considered as an insult.
14- Self-determination
Self-determination has to do with a person's ability to make their own decisions. It is about acting on the basis of your interests, preferences and abilities without this influencing other people. Every person should act for himself and express his ideas and thoughts without being manipulated by other people.
15- Order
This is a value that is learned at home from an early age and is an idea that accompanies people for the rest of their lives. In addition, it is a behavior that is extrapolated to other areas of life.
Order refers not only to the organization of the material but also to the way in which ideas are organized and to the manner in which life is conducted in general lines.
References
- Valle, E. (2013). Citizen values. Retrieved from es.scribd.com.
- Citizen values and tax education. (2013). Department of Tax Education. Directorate General of Internal Taxes. Retrieved from dgii.gov.do.
- Toro, B; Tallone, A. (2010). Education, Values and Citizenship. Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture. Madrid Spain.