Bernie Ronan's "The Civic Spectrum: How Students Become Engaged Citizens" comes at a critical time in the effort to strengthen the role of higher education in a democracy. In the last 20 years, higher education institutions have begun to pay a great deal of attention to the civic engagement of college students. By now, nearly every campus around…

Towards the end of the 19th century there was a revival of the struggle for democracy throughout the world. The formation of Australia as a federation embodied this commitment, a commitment subsequently abandoned. The impetus for public education in Australia came from its commitment to democracy, inspired by the British Idealists. If the people…

Democratisation is an important component of current globalisation trends, and education is commonly thought to lead to greater democratisation. Thus, education holds a prestigious place in political development discourses. Are policies that promote this belief grounded in research-based evidence, or simply the propagation of institutionalized…

Despite a growing consensus that civic education is an important aspect of political socialization, little research has prospectively examined how gains made during civics courses are maintained after high school. This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine longer-term effects of the Student Voices program, which was originally…

Meanings of "citizenship," a concept that has informed teaching practices since nation-states first institutionalized schooling, are shaped over time and through cultural struggles. This article presents a conceptual framework for the discourses that currently construct the meanings of citizenship in contemporary Western cultures,…

A central aspect of education has always been the passing on of norms and values. This task is not fulfilled if pupils only learn the meaning of established norms and values. It is also about making pupils believe in them and to act according to them. Thus, teaching is also a kind of political socialization. The values taught change historically…

This paper will focus on Young's theories of heterogeneity, as they have developed from the essays in "Throwing Like a Girl" (1990) to those in "Inclusion and Democracy" (2000). Reading her theories of heterogeneity together with recent developments in political theory which seek to reclaim the agonistic and frictional aspects of polity and…

Key concepts in political socialization, tolerance, groups, rights and responsibilities can be used to understand the way in which young people struggle with sexual identity issues. Educators may promote greater tolerance for homosexuality among heterosexuals by situating sexual identity issues within a broader discussion of democratic principles.…

Civic education in schools is necessary in a democratic society, so as to produce citizens who are able to participate in the system of self-government. Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, and John Dewey each emphasized the value of good citizenship and promoted the role of public education in teaching citizens the knowledge and skills necessary for…

This book is a collection of essays on political education for democratic citizenship in higher education developed out of meetings over 5 years of a small group of faculty, administrators and students who gathered to discuss the way academia was educating young people for political responsibility. Following a foreword and an introduction by…

Discusses factors influencing development of political attitudes of Hausa primary and secondary students in Kano State, Nigeria. Describes influences from traditional socialization agencies and schools in terms of attitudes toward citizenship, authority, and political participation. Finds schooling's emphasis on bureaucracy contributes equally to…

The civic values of democratic societies and the responsibilities of educational institutions to transmit these values to succeeding generations are discussed. Free societies cannot survive unless the values upon which they are grounded are fully comprehended and practiced by each generation. But each generation must also transmit those values…

The best expression of a people's ideals is to be found in their literature, and there is no better or more effective means of disseminating these ideals among the masses of the people than through the right use of the best of the literature in the schools and elsewhere. The great struggle in which the United States is now engaged for the…

This book explores the causal relationships between education and democratic citizenship. This book is divided into 2 parts and features 11 chapters. Chapter 1, the introductory chapter, looks at "Education and Democratic Citizenship in America: Enlightened Political Engagement." Part 1, "Education and Citizenship in the United States, 1990,"…

This book examines the ideas of Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire regarding radical education and adult education's role in the struggle for liberation from oppression. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the following topics: Gramsci and Freire's theories; publications about both men in the adult education literature; and the principles of…