This book offers a framework for adult civic learning, positioning democracy not merely as a form of government, but as an overarching way of living together, where citizens understand and support essential principles of democracy. These principles are often in conflict with one another, meaning that citizens must negotiate the tensions that arise…

In light of socio-political dynamics at play in contemporary Thailand, higher education (HE) is becoming an important site for citizenship learning. This article interrogates priorities and practices of civic/citizenship education in Thai universities. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with leadership in five public universities…

There are so many generous and high-sounding phrases and ambitions in "A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy's Future," the report by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), that to criticize them almost seems bilious and misanthropic. "A Crucible Moment," too, grounds its…

This article presents the author's critique on a new report titled "A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy's Future", and focuses on civic education and civic engagement. The Obama administration's new report confronts a genuine problem in American education. The decline of civic education and knowledge in America is one of the few…

A "civic recession" is as worrisome as an economic recession. "A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy's Future" (The National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, 2012) should be praised for acknowledging the peril and seeking to rebuild the "depleted civic capital." Welcome, too, is the report's conviction that…

This chapter attempts to survey contemporary debates and research on outcomes of schooling that have been grouped together under the convenient label "nonacademic". This is not an affirmative labeling. As the nomenclature indicates, it is not a label that groups together things that share like properties. Rather, this is a label of…

The focus of citizen education has traditionally been on the institution of government. Instead, citizenship education should emphasize the teaching of democratic behavior and values and the practice of prosociality. Prosocial behavior is defined as actions that are intended to aid another person without the actor's anticipation of external…

Analyzes philosopher William James' writings on political representation and participatory democracy. Although he argued in favor of democratic principles, James also strongly supported the role of a well-educated elite serving as leaders. Attempts to reconcile these contradictory positions and considers James' influence on the development of…

Against the backdrop of growing conflicts in Israeli society and concerns about its democratic character, the current curriculum guidelines and official textbook for civic education in Israel were set to offer a more inclusive civic education that would stress ideas such as pluralistic and democratic citizenship. However, this curriculum does not…

Asserts that all of the major principles of political democracy are embedded in the tenets of multicultural education. Multicultural education facilitates the translation of principles of democratic living into practice for a society populated by people from many different ethnic, racial, cultural, and social backgrounds. (MJP)

This brochure is a partial follow-up to the 44th session of the International Conference on Education (ICE), "Appraisal and Perspectives of Education for International Understanding," held in 1994 in Geneva, Switzerland. While borrowing extensively from conference material (such as the speeches by heads of delegations, replies by member states to…

Adults cannot be induced to go "back" to school but they can be assisted in continuing their education. The school, the university, forums, discussion groups, libraries, newspapers, magazines, the radio, and the motion pictures all have roles to play in making education a continuing process for adults. The public forum demonstrations,…

This bulletin has been prepared in response to many hundreds of requests for information about public affairs forums. It is impossible in such limited space to give a comprehensive description of the forum method of adult civic education or its application in various parts of the country. However, the authors have tried to include in the bulletin…

Plans and programs come in response to need. Citizens of our democracy have need of greater opportunities for truth-seeking under competent guidance. The people are hungry for increased understanding of the problems which beset them and their communities. They have a right to expect their institutions of education to give them help in their study…