- Introduction – About me, where I live. Where I found this: my hallway in Atherton Hall (how convenient). Assume posted by RA
- Who is RA? Is it the responsibility of RA to promote civic engagement?
- Description of Civic Engagement
- Signage promotes variety of opportunities for civic engagement (save list for next part)
- Most intriguing part of this signage: defines civic engagement
- “Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.”
- “Working for the betterment of a community (i.e., Your floor, your building, your area, Penn State)”
- How does definition compare to our definition of civic engagement?
- Interesting 2nd definition –> employs pathos (“your…your…your”)
- Signage assumes ideology of reader–by knowing what civic engagement is, the reader would want to participate–expects an inherent sense that one values his/her community, wants to get involved
- Was this signage targeted for people in honors dorms? Would different techniques be used in different locations (i.e. more individual benefits of getting involved rather than group benefits?)
- Methods of Civic Engagement
- Resident Association – “…promotes the welfare of its residents…”
- PSU student organizations – logos “…over 1000 student organizations”
- State College community – pathos “State College is your home…become a part…”
- Community service
- Staying informed – newspaper readership program
- Goals of Civic Engagement
- Direct: get students involved on campus/with community (even include QR codes to make it easy to get more info)
- Behind the scenes: Why was this posted? Sponsored by university–what does university have to gain from encouraging civic engagement? Statistics, marketing purposes, happier, more cohesive student body (happier = spend more?). Just thoughts…
- Likelihood of Success of Civic Engagement
- Everyone wants to fit in, to have friends, to feel at home on campus
- Result: student organizations probably popular
- Stats on newspaper readership program
- Possibly harder to motivate people to help out in community–have to value community service/helping other people as opposed to oneself
- Result: student organizations probably popular
- Everyone wants to fit in, to have friends, to feel at home on campus
- Effects of Civic Engagement
- Personal: make friends, feel good/happy, enjoy your time at PSU
- Broadly: makes State College/PSU a better place (heightened sense of community, unity)
- Conclusion
- Potentially effective signage–could be flashier and more eye-catching
- Meaning comes from the words, not from the appearance
- Relies on reader to stop, read, and think. If you don’t read it, it means nothing (pictures can’t convey)
- Once again, interesting technique in defining civic engagement–more mature
- Meaning comes from the words, not from the appearance
- Potentially effective signage–could be flashier and more eye-catching
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