In this article we attempt to envision what utopian higher education could be given the realities that currently shape students' experiences. Postsecondary education is fraught with admissions that favor those with social, cultural, and economic capital; with course enrollment, class size, and instructor accessibility governed by bureaucratic…

Heidegger argues that modern technology is quantifiably different from all earlier periods because of a shift in ethos from in situ craftwork to globalised production and storage at the behest of consumerism. He argues that this shift in technology has fundamentally shaped our epistemology, and it is almost impossible to comprehend anything…

Within the current U.S. sociopolitical context of rampant violence, increasing levels of racism and xenophobia in society and the rise of authoritarianism in schools, a new and fresh confluence of Maxine Greene and Paulo Freire's work revitalizes and expands the concept of radical hope. Their educational philosophies enable one to see beyond…

This article explores why we need to be intentional about the literature we explore in our English language arts classrooms. It explores the question of what literature should be considered and strategies for using democratic practices in support of literature circles. It also reinforces the importance of collaborative practitioner research to…

In this response to Fettes's "Imagination and Experience," the authors further consider the varieties of educational experience that inspire ecological flourishing and a living democracy. The essential interconnectedness of encounter-driven and language-driven ways of knowing are explored with particular reference to the authors'…

Over one half of Darren Webb's article on the concept of utopia in contemporary educational theory (Webb, 2009) reviews critically the "utopian realist" approach the author has advocated in various publications about education over the past nine years. The conception of utopianism to which the author subscribes also stresses the role of patient…

Liberation of self and society is the point of democracy. What does one need in teacher education and teaching to fulfill this democratic vision? For John Dewey, teacher educators need to practice associated living in the classroom. Talking about it will not fulfill the charge. They need to enable experiences of deliberation, thoughtful planning,…

Examines the relationship between imagination, silence, and democracy, and claims that all human rights depend on freedom of imagination and esthetic sensitivity. Concludes counselors are the advanced guard of imagination as it tries to break into civilization by touching its citizens though the symptoms of its discontents. (Author/ABL)

Examines issues of literacy and identity relative to the development of a critical pedagogy and a critical democracy. Argues that the best strategies to foster a critical and astute citizenry that would pursue a radical, transcultural democracy, involve maximizing various epistemologies, searching for transcultural understandings, and opening up…

Helping students learn how to engage thoughtfully with religious diversity is a vital component of democratic citizenship. This article argues for the importance of such a curriculum and considers the challenges and potential inherent in fostering "imaginative engagement" with religion in public school classrooms. It first explores conceptual…

Outlines a concept of political virtue, and consequently of civic education, that attempts to give both criticism and emotional engagement their due importance. Educational implications of the concept are explored in relation to the development of a sense of history among students. (SLD)

A fundamental obligation of schooling in a democracy is to educate youth in the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are crucial to an informed and involved citizenry. If schools are to enhance a citizenship based on taking responsibility for one's thinking and actions, imaginative expression and critical thinking must be taught. (RM)