This paper draws on the concept of affective atmospheres to theorize how democracy and democratic education take hold and circulate in classrooms and schools. The paper asks under which circumstances affective atmospheres are experienced or even 'engineered', encompassing affective and material features that (de)legitimate democracy, democratic…

Democracy and capitalism are two of the most consequential institutional systems in the world. However, their dynamic complexity, current turmoil, and evolution make them challenging to study. High-engagement teaching can bring the subjects alive, motivate student exploration, inform choices, animate sensible policy recommendations, and make a…

This paper advocates for the integration of the 'sociological imagination', as proposed by the sociologist C. Wright Mills, into pedagogical practices to foster inclusive and democratic classrooms. Departing from narrow evidence-based approaches, it explores how the sociological imagination connects personal experiences with broader societal…

Participating in fair-minded, text-based classroom dialogue has immense benefits. It contributes not only to learning and academic success but also to the ability to effectively participate in democracy. This article presents how to prepare for and participate in discussions that will powerfully equip students to listen carefully, learn from their…

This article extends initial ideas on what hope is, why it matters to democracy, and how to teach it in schools, which were first presented by Sarah M. Stitzlein in her book "Learning How to Hope: Reviving Democracy through Our Schools and Civil Society" (Oxford University Press, 2020). It accounts for recent obstacles to hope,…

This article outlines a series of lessons the author led to help students understand gerrymandering, which is the practice of drawing district boundaries to favor a particular group or party and which undermines the fairness of a representative democracy. These lessons were developed to capture student interest and engagement by linking…

This paper presents how language-in-use, and its political features, shapes our world(s) and the potential or limitations of our agency in it. It proposes that, with the democratic relational practices of Action Learning, we can, together, enhance social justice and wellbeing for all.

What does a learning center for civic education do in a museum environment? How and why can democracy be taught in a museum? The Museum Arbeitswelt in Steyr, Austria, offers with its "Politikwerkstatt" a learning environment for people of different age groups where they can learn, discuss, and talk about democracy. This article shows the…

It is one of few statements upon which Americans left, right, and center agree: The nation faces a civic crisis. Polarization, rage, and militancy vie with cynicism, disengagement, and despair in the much-vaunted battle for America's political soul--all while trampling grace, deliberation, and cooperation underfoot. What can and should our…

This paper considers 'democracy' with reference to education in the (neo)colonial context of Aotearoa (New Zealand). It discusses impacts of the western project of colonisation, arguing for the need to counter damaging hegemonic discourses such as white supremacy and racism that have underpinned and fuelled its operation. It identifies…

Educating in a convulsed political context demands a detailed analysis of the new circumstances of our times, especially the current democracy crisis. According to the latest reports issued by international evaluation organisations, one of the greatest challenges for democratic citizenship is the emergence and rise of authoritarianism within the…

In this article I discuss an approach to teaching about the Russian war in Ukraine that uses the war as a focal point for teaching about topics in comparative politics and international relations. I discuss the pedagogical advantages for political science teaching, including meeting the interests of students, introducing students to theories in…

The way that college students are introduced to research fails to encourage the ethical practice of open-ended curiosity so desperately needed in today's complex information environment. Drawing from a decade of Project Information Literacy's rigorous research studies, one surprising finding is especially concerning: A large majority of recent…

The American educational system, because it is based in behaviorist rather than progressivist philosophy, has not well-served the development of a citizenry capable of effective participation in the democratic decision-making process, the remedy being the progressivist methods described in the later chapters of Progressive Education for Democratic…

There is a steady line of academic discourse around the topic of controversial issues and how to approach them in and through education. In this line of discourse, discussion is widely seen as a primary method of democratic education that is especially suitable to foster its major educational aims, such as tolerance, reciprocal respect, or…