Principle of progressive autonomy, participation, and recognition of agency. Substantive citizenship in the transition from childhood to adolescence

Abstract

It is necessary to talk about children's and adolescents' education for citizenship beyond the vindication of spaces for citizen action. It is necessary to incorporate the principle of progressive autonomy highlighted by the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 in terms of 'evolving capacities', from the knowledge of their rights and their exercise. This article aims to analyse the concept of substantive citizenship of children and adolescents based on their right to participation and from the recognition of their agency, as well as the promotion of and respect for the principle of progressive autonomy. Based on a participatory narrative research with a socio-critical perspective, 23 discussion groups were carried out with 210 young people between 15 and 19 years old in five Iberoamerican cities: Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Madrid and Sao Paolo. From the content analysis of their contributions, three dimensions emerge: to know oneself as a subject of rights from the knowledge of these rights, the importance of intergenerational relations in recognising progressive autonomy, and the incidence of age in the development of their autonomy. As conclusions, it should be noted that young people in the five cities know their rights and recognise that family, school and social networks favour their recognition as subjects of rights and responsibilities. It also reveals that age is a limiting element and a fundamental factor for the development of substantive citizenship.