The concept of community has been central to the discourse of rural education for generations. At the same time, community has been and continues to be a deeply problematic concept. I begin this analysis with Raymond Williams's characterization of the idea of community as a uniquely positive concept, arguing that this framing is, as Williams…

Using Barbara Kingsolver's novel "Animal Dreams" and critical readings, the paper explores relationships between community, sense of place, and construction of meanings, noting the importance of autobiography in connecting with community and place in constructing landscapes and personal meaning and advocating for education that does not…

Discusses the liberal-communitarian debate from the perspective of moral philosophy, examining strengths and weaknesses of liberal and communitarian moral thought, noting implications for education, and arguing that reconciliation requires developing criteria for determining what conditions merit support to maintain and reproduce each culture's…

Explores the communitarian dimensions of feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman as expressed in her Utopian novel "Herland," arguing that, although cognizant of tensions between individual and community, Gilman's central point is the creation of community based on care and cooperation. Gilman's theory of education as related to…

Connects contemporary communitarian ideas to the agenda of the 19th-century populist movement. The populist educational agenda (the agrarian revolt and Farmers' Alliance) provides historical examples of the implementation of communitarian educational theory. The populist movement as an example of communitarianism highlights an instance of a…

Discusses community and morality in an international context, recommending a transnational ethic grounded in international custom and agreement and noting that the Nuremberg Obligation provides a foundation for such an ethic. The paper maintains that this ethic provides the moral foundation for a civic education cognizant of global…

Examines the debate between liberals and communitarians, offering a sympathetic reading of the communitarian critique of liberalism and discussing its implications for school reform. The article lays a foundation for a series of articles that focus on the community-individual nexus as it relates to educational theory and practice. (SM)

Examines fundamental tensions between the individual and community as manifested in the philosophy and practice of three progressive New York City Schools. The historical case studies of private progressive education demonstrate a tension between liberal and communitarian dimensions of progressive education, a tension implicit in progressive…