Provides a critique of certain social and institutional tendencies inimical to the development of social democracy and democratic community, especially conformity generated by bureaucratized social institutions, religious absolutism, and intolerance. Discusses the primary values of freedom and equality as critical to the development of democratic…

Examines the influence of soft-money-sponsored issue-advocacy advertising in U.S. House and Senate campaigns, comparing its effects against candidate-sponsored positive advertising and contrast advertising on viewers' candidate preferences and on their attitude that reflect democratic values. Reveals no main effects for advertising approach on…

Examines the longstanding argument between advocates of curriculum development and critical curriculum studies from the perspective of democratic inquiry artistry, highlighting the curriculum perspectives of Wraga (1999) and Pinar (1999). Suggests that the daily enactment of democratic inquiry artistry can help educational researchers by informing…

Explores the Jeffersonian vision of legal education. Examines methods of training lawyers in colonial America, noting that colleges offered no such instruction. Considers Jefferson's vision of the role of education in sustaining a republican form of government and describes the implementation of his vision of legal education first at the college…

Discussion of issues concerned with diversity and inclusion in higher education (since issue No. 49 of this journal which focused on the topic) considers: terminology and focus; identity formation; racialization and whiteness; civic responsibility, democracy, and community; breadth and depth of activities; and expanded activities to support…

Describes efforts by the Association of American Colleges and Universities in its American Commitments initiative to foster diversity in the context of undergraduate courses that probe the complexities of such democratic values as equality, opportunity, freedom, and justice. (DB)

Democratic citizenship education in the information age must concern itself with the goal of nurturing future generations with the capacity to make appropriate use of the changes driven by the advances of ICTs so as to activate political and social democracy. Using Australia and South Korea as case studies, this paper discusses the role that…

This chapter juxtaposes Africentrism and Eurocentrism, leading to suggestions for creating a practice that avoids the reproduction of oppression arising from adult education's overreliance on a Eurocentric worldview.

An alternative high school in the US where democracy is truly enacted by the students is described. Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, Colorado, is a unique school where the students' personal voices are valued that helps them develop power, responsibility, and authority over their education.

Moments of intense controversy often provide the best opportunities to demonstrate and strengthen the commitment to free yet civil discourse. In this article, the author shares the most dramatic instance of this in his experience which came several years ago, when a noisy but nonviolent shouting match between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian…

The 100th anniversary of any organization's founding is an occasion for celebration. At the least, one can celebrate the organization's longevity in surviving for a whole century. The organization has to be doing something right to exist that long. The Religious Education Association (REA) has done many good things in its 100 years of existence.…

The extent to which people abhor or admire patriotism in the schools depends on how it is taught. If educators teach it narrowly as jingoistic, uncritical self-praise of the nation, then such instruction is wrong. It would be indoctrination rather than education. If, however, they teach civic education and define patriotism as a respectful…

The purpose of this paper is to consider, in principle and at the most general level, a particular possible approach to educational policy-making. This approach involves an education-specific application of the notion of hypothetical markets first developed in Ronald Dworkin's book "Sovereign Virtue: The theory and practice of equality" (2000).…

Critics of the George W. Bush administration dismiss the export of democracy as a rationale derived as an afterthought for the invasion of Iraq, and argue that democracy cannot be promoted at gunpoint. Impressive arguments can be made in support of democracy promotion or in opposition to it. It would be perilous to dismiss out of hand democracy's…

Philosophers of education disagree on how the question of the moral status of homosexual acts should be tackled in the classroom. Some argue that the question should be taught as a controversial issue, that we should present rival moral positions as even-handedly as possible; others maintain that we should actively promote the view that homosexual…