Learning Democracy: The Theory and Practice of Civic Education

Undergraduate

This is a seminar on the theory and practice of civic education. We begin by investigating philosophies of civic education, asking such questions as: What is civic education and what is its purpose? What knowledge, skills, and values promote human flourishing and the cultivation of a democratic society? What roll can and should schools play in this cultivation? In the next part of the course we focus on civic education in practice, exploring various approaches to teaching civics and the empirical evidence in support of each method’s effectiveness. We also discuss variations in access to civic education opportunities across socioeconomic, demographic, and national contexts, and how societies might deal with these disparities. SO T 1:30pm-3:25pm