The Future of Civic Education: Rebuilding a Democracy in Ruins

Speaking to the need to move beyond traditional formulations, this textbook presents radical visions for transforming civic education in the United States.

Drawing on the experience of educators and scholars--including those rooted in feminist, queer, abolitionist, global, and race-conscious perspectives--this work offers new, practical ideas for civic education reform. Responding to recent political crises, many scholars, educators, and public commentators have called for a rebirth of civic education, but these all are grounded in the premise that the goal of civic education should be to teach students about the U.S. Constitutional system and how to operate within it. This book argues that the U.S. governmental system, including the Constitution, is infused with racist and anti-democratic premises and procedures. It asks: How can we seek a new path--one that is more democratic, more equitable, and more humane? A diverse range of leading civic educators, who are willing not just to push the boundaries of civic education but to operate outside its assumptions altogether, explore what future possibilities for civic education might look like and how these innovative ideas could be implemented in the classroom.

Combining theory with practice, The Future of Civic Education will be important reading for those studying or researching in social studies methods, social studies issues, citizenship, and civic education. It will also be beneficial to social studies teachers at elementary and secondary levels, as well as policymakers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Elizabeth Yeager Washington is Professor and Coordinator of Secondary Education and Social Studies Education at The University of Florida, USA. Her research focuses on civic education, democratic citizenship education, and the teaching of difficult history and controversial issues.

Keith C. Barton is Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Indiana University, USA. His research focuses on teaching, learning, and curriculum in history and social studies in the United States and internationally. He is co-author, with Li-Ching Ho, of Curriculum for Justice and Harmony: Deliberation, Knowledge, and Action in Social and Civic Education (Routledge).