Strengthening Active Citizenship in Democracy Model for all Generation Citizen in Bangkok

Abstract

         The study aims to study the knowledge and understanding, mechanisms, problems and obstacles; for developing strengthening active citizenship in democracy model for all generation citizen in Bangkok. The study conducts as both qualitative methods by : conducting  in-depth interview and focus group discussion with three scholars and two government officials  who drive the strengthening active citizenship program; conducting focus group discussion with five Baby boomers, five generation X and five generation Y who drive the strengthening active citizenship program; and quantitative method by using questionnaires with four hundred and seventy-one citizen in Bangkok.  that randomly selected by multi stage sampling. The analysis of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and path analysis run by LISREL are used to analyze the strengthening active citizenship in democracy model.

The results indicate that:  citizen in Bangkok has knowledge and understanding in active citizenship in democracy in the low level. Mandatory mechanisms for strengthening active citizenship in democracy for all generation citizen are agents of socialization such as family, schools, laws, professional network of public and private organizations. There are specific mechanisms for each generation; so that problems and obstacles are also differences between each generation. The analysis of strengthening active citizenship in democracy model for all generation citizen in Bangkok (hypothesis model) is consistent with empirical data.  Thirteen composite indicators have influences with each others at the significant level .01. 

The recommendations from this research are : Government agencies should improve the curriculum in both formal and non-formal education; institute of education should provide the learning activities  by promoting leaners to participate in problem solving in their communities;  Government agencies should communicate the right information with people through various channel and accessible for people in all  generations;  Government agencies  should be the middleman to connect with  local networking to strengthen  active citizenship in democracy  by supporting  collaboration, partnerships and local administration; Communities should collaborate with entrepreneur or company  to provide the  strengthening active citizenship activities for Generation Y. The stakeholders in strengthening active citizenship in democracy can use the tool in this research in their responsible area to measure the active citizenship in democracy and plan for the concrete development.