84 Chapter 1 1.4 CONCLUSION As a result of this chapter, the conceptual scheme is complete for now. It represents the main findings concerning the challenges of fragmentation for citizenship formation. It describes the modern world and society, based on the significant overlaps in the fundamental modernity critiques offered by MacIntyre (2007) and Taylor (1989), as deeply fragmented, while the art of living together is challenged by a stratified problem that cannot be addressed on just the micro-level of the person, the meso-level of the society or the macrolevel of the world. Addressing fragmentation as a deep and layered problem means that an integrative citizenship approach is necessary, which affects all three levels and responds to the social forces of disintegration, alienation, atomisation and detachment that can be perceived on each level. The original situation of coherence is shattered: on the macro-level, there is no agreement on reality as an ordered framework, which leads to a lack of purpose; on the meso-level, there is no stable situation of peaceful coexistence, which leads to a lack of social cohesion; and on the micro-level, hyper-individualism poses a constant threat to personal flourishing in relationships, which leads to a lack of a sense of belonging. The rapidly increasing ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in nearly all Western countries cannot be seen as the first cause of the problem of fragmentation, which is—as described above—sin. Nevertheless, it most certainly serves as an accelerant of it. This conclusion means that not much can be expected from existing policies intended to foster social cohesion through simply the teaching of active citizenship, global citizenship, 21st century skills, sustainable development goals, et cetera. A complicating factor is that schools, and even education itself, form part of the fragmentation problem, because they have, over time, adopted a functionality that bears the traits of their context of fragmentation. To really address the widespread phenomenon of fragmentation, schools should rediscover their classical function and education should aim more at facilitating the art of living and working together than at efficiency and profitability. In the meantime, Protestant Christian education should be very aware of its interconnectedness with modernism, which clouds thinking about possible responses to the indicated challenges. An important finding of this chapter is that, on each level of fragmentation, subjectification can provide direction for possible, integrative educational responses. Subjectification should be distinguished from qualification and socialisation in the sense that it helps to be a self in a fragmented world. It invites students to seek communion (intersubjectivity) with others and to respond freely and responsibly to the needs of others. It corrects modernity’s
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