Positive political discourse is the heart of democracy. The purposes of political discourse include making an effective decision about the course the society should take and building a moral bond among all members of the society. A responsibility of social sciences within a democratic society is to provide the theory, research, and normative…

My purpose is to examine and evaluate the implementation of market ideology and practices in education through the prism of both modern democratic theory and the discourse of rights. I examine the essence and defining characteristics of public schooling in modern democratic theory, explore the democratic purposes of education, and the unique…

In the United States, there is a growing sense of urgency and attention to the issues of equity and youth well-being. As a nation, we devote significant expertise and resources to addressing disparities and closing gaps among groups of young people, yet our progress has been slow, in no small part because our best efforts remain deeply fragmented.…

Civic education is an issue of growing and serious concern. There is diminished time for civics, fewer course offerings, and gaps in students' civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. The role of teacher education in addressing this problem is one area deserving additional focus. This article describes the project begun by the secondary…

Is the real purpose of schooling to produce dutiful, able workers or citizens for democracy? Truly democratic education requires altering school culture and interacting with schools' communities. (SK)

Explores questions concerning reflective inquiry in the elementary social studies classroom. Offers an example social studies lesson which applies the principles of reflective inquiry. (CMK)

The purpose of this article is to investigate appropriate methods for educating students into citizenship within a pluralistic state and to explain why civic education is itself important. In this discussion, I will offer suggestions as to how students might be best prepared for their future political roles as participants in a democracy, and how…

Discusses the origins and development of social studies education from the Populist/Progressive era to the present. Contends that, because of the influence of politics on programs of study in schools, the social studies curriculum has been affected by the rise and fall of ideological and political trends. (CFR)

Considers Robert Barr, James Barth, and Sam Shermis' three social studies patterns: citizenship transmission, social science, reflective inquiry. Despite calls for reform and use of reflective inquiry rhetoric, argues social studies teachers serve as content transmitters rather than learning facilitators. Suggests computers may help change role of…