Can Schools Save Democracy?: Civic Education and the Common Good

Education can protect and strengthen democracy by equipping teachers with an appreciation of the paradoxes of pluralism and practical suggestions for bringing these concepts to life. It can also foster stronger partnerships within the education system and between educators and their diverse constituents, and improve mechanisms for global cooperation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 02 January 2024
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

In an era where democracy faces significant challenges, it is not feasible to expect the education system, already grappling with the impact of a global pandemic, to address the interconnected issues of inequality, climate change, and erosion of trust in government and science. However, education can play a crucial role in safeguarding and strengthening democracy. Michael J. Feuer presents a novel approach to addressing these concerns by enhancing the process and content of civic education. While schooling alone cannot save democracy, it must contribute to the effort. Feuer proposes a framework for educator preparation that emphasizes collaborative action, experiential learning, and partnerships between schools and their diverse communities. His proposed reform aims to equip teachers with an understanding of the paradoxes of pluralism, particularly the tensions between individual choice and social outcomes. Furthermore, he offers practical suggestions for implementing these concepts in classrooms, enabling students to acquire the skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary for enlightened democratic leadership.

Adopting a definition of public education that recognizes the engagement between schools and their environments, Feuer advocates for strengthened partnerships within the education system and between educators and their diverse constituents. He envisions new collaborations between education faculty and their colleagues in behavioral, social, and physical sciences, as well as humanities; stronger links between schools and their complex external environments; and improved mechanisms for global cooperation.

Can Schools Save Democracy? provides lively examples of how theoretical principles can inform familiar problems and offers a hopeful path forward. By nurturing the values of democracy, civic responsibility, and social justice, education can empower individuals to become active participants in shaping their societies and promoting a more inclusive and equitable world.

Weight: 380g
Dimension: 147 x 224 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421447773