Institutions of higher education have recently been embroiled in a series of controversies concerning two related, though hotly contested ideas: the creation of safe space and the preservation of free speech. On one hand, there is a demand for institutional safe spaces--literal refuges or broad university norms that create a sense of inclusion for…

The aim of this study is to reveal how university students conceptualize their perceptions of social justice. 393 university students were included as the sample of the research. An interview form was sent to the students online. The content analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data. As results, it was stated that every student is…

The levels of alienation and anger animating contemporary politics, the lack of commitment to democratic institutions, the distance ordinary citizens feel from government--all are issues of enduring danger and also form the ground on which actual enemies can act. How do institutions committed to the broadest liberal education of students respond…

Background: Health and Physical Education Teacher Education (HPETE) is increasingly shaped by agendas, stakeholders and accountability regimes that restrict rather than open up what is possible (Tinning [2006]. "Theoretical Orientations in Physical Education Teacher Education." In "The Handbook of Physical Education," edited by…

Fear, or rather the recognition of and consequential "transcendence" of fear, is potentially a very powerful pedagogical tool--especially in educational settings that purport to strive for democratic teaching practices. In this study, secondary English teacher candidates (TCs) were encouraged to imagine the ways they could overcome fear…

I propose an approach to service-learning that encourages and enables students to engage with human rights and social justice in ways that are democratic and effective. I describe a teaching process in which civic action can be critically reflected on not just to promote engagement and build knowledge but ultimately to encourage and equip students…

The value of human rights in a democratic South Africa is constantly threatened and often waived for nefarious reasons. We contend that the use of visual graphics among incoming university visual art students provides a mode of engagement that helps to inculcate awareness of human rights, social responsibility, and the public good in South African…

Many U.S. higher education institutions are reaffirming their commitments to public purposes--preparing graduates for civic engagement for the public good and producing knowledge with real-world applications. Developing students for civic engagement for justice in the context of a diverse and inequitable democracy is a complex task. In Article 1,…

"Higher Education Exchange" publishes case studies, analyses, news, and ideas about efforts within higher education to develop more democratic societies. Contributors to this issue of the "Higher Education Exchange" examine whether institutions of higher learning are doing anything to increase the capacity of citizens to shape their future.…

Few cultural institutions so potently foster free thought and speech, appreciation for others unlike self, and community service as higher education. As such, universities catalyze democracy. One calls them the "Messiah" of that cause. Christian universities in particular, though not designed as political or religiously pluralist entities, assist…

This article is based on an ESRC/DFID funded research project on Widening Participation in Higher Education in Ghana and Tanzania: Developing an Equity Scorecard (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/education/wideningparticipation). There are questions about whether widening participation in higher education is a force for democratisation or differentiation.…

Civic competence is critical to the successful functioning of pluralistic democracies. Developing the knowledge, skills, and motivations for effective democratic participation is a national and global imperative that many higher education institutions have embraced through the teaching strategies of community-based learning and service-learning.…

This study considered the impact of the SERVE Program upon participating college students' belief in the American Dream. The SERVE Program is a community service learning program sponsored by the philosophy and theology departments at Ignatius University. Using a mixed methods approach, the authors found that participating students demonstrated…

Writers in this journal have presented a number of strategies that sociology teachers can use to facilitate the expression--and serious analysis--of unpopular opinions. This article contributes to this dialog by illustrating the application of a Bill of Rights learning module. In this module, students are expected to create a document that…

This article scopes some of the key political elements in the higher educational use of the read/write web, or Web2.0 as it is commonly known. It investigates ways in which these tools can be used to enhance deliberative democracy, the associations between individuals and their capability for decision-making. The structuring of spaces in which…