Citizenship within the Social Change Model

"The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight" - Theodore Roosevelt

What separates a good man from a good citizen? A good man may raise wonderful and respectful children, keep a very professional decorum within the workplace, and stay faithful to his wife through sickness and in health.  However if a man lived his life fulfilling only the requirements of being a good man, he would live half of his life completely empty, as citizenship is so much more than a personal life behind closed doors.

As our book defines it, citizenship means to promote the quality of life in a community.  Where this becomes difficult is that we are all part of multiple communities.  I have made a tremendous effort to increase the quality of life within my communities (OUAB, the Ohio Union, Greek life) by being an active participant and stepping outside my comfort zone.  As a student at Ohio State, community and citizenship mean something more than just a task that needs to be handled.  I came into school with over 50 hours of community service, but only because they were required for my high school diploma.  Now, I try and actively seek out ways (such as starting a fraternity) that I can increase my citizenship.  I think our book said it best on page 153, “Community building was one of the keys to making a democratic society work.”  This rings absolutely true to the community at Ohio State.  We aren’t out there because it makes us feel good, and we aren’t out there to meet our service requirements.  We are out there because our fellow neighbors and friends need our help, just as one day we may, or may have already, needed their help.