ABSTRACT
The idea of citizenship as constructed in practices is grounded in John Dewey’s concepts of the public, community and his theory of social nature of knowledge and action. It directs the focus to what people do in shared activities that relate to citizenship. This chapter focuses on the notion of circumstances in relation to citizenship habits and practices in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Dewey’s view combines his theory of the interplay between habits, disruptions and aesthetic responses with what could be called an anti-foundational but normative view of growth, which distinguishes growth from other versions of learning. The chapter argues that Deweyan pragmatism enables an expanded and contextualized conceptualization of citizenship. In order to explore more deeply what this theory implies, Dewey’s notions of the public and community, as well as his theory of the social nature of human knowledge and activities are central.
