Teaching responsible citizenship through imaginative narrative mythological structures

This essay investigates the challenge for schools in Romania to educate their students in the civic virtues. Educators have to deal not only with the legacy of Soviet ideologies, but also with the avalanche of messages concerning citizenship that are embedded in the market-driven media that are increasingly being watched by Romanian students. These media, however, use old archetypical forms concerning narratives and hero characters in order to communicate with their audience. This essay suggests that the school curriculum should also make use of such forms in order to teach students about civic responsibility. These forms use the imagination as a key tool in the transmission of cultural values.