Teaching Democracy: Unity and Diversity in Public Life. Multicultural Education Series.

Overview & Synopsis

This book contributes to the debate between proponents of multicultural education and those who favor a cultural literacy approach. The book demonstrates that educating for democratic citizenship in a multicultural society includes a fundamental respect for diversity. It bridges the widening gap between multicultural education and civic education; provides teaching strategies that educators can use to draw children creatively and productively into a way of life that protects and nurtures cultural pluralism and racial equality; explains the unity-diversity confusion that is found in popular media as well as in multicultural- and citizenship-education initiatives; and defines deliberative discussion and explores its promise as the centerpiece of democratic education in schools, both elementary and secondary. Following the preface and introduction, there are eight chapters: (1) "From Idiocy to Citizenship"; (2) "Democracy and Difference"; (3) "Toward Enlightened Political Engagement"; (4) "Promoting Justice: Two Views"; (5) "Can We Talk?"; (6) "Making Publics, Finding Problems, Imagining Solutions"; (7) "Learning to Lead Discussions"; and (8) "Access to a Non-Idiotic Education." Each chapter includes notes. Contains an extensive reference list. (BT)