Rövid leírás:
How do we prepare an increasingly diverse generation of Americans for full participation in public life? Drawing on lessons from students and teachers in Chicago, The Color of Civics reimagines the democratic purpose of civic education. Matthew D. Nelsen presents a new approach to civic education that aims to foster political empowerment, increase rates of intended political participation among young people of color, and heighten political empathy among white youth. Including novel empirical research and an evidence-based analysis, Nelsen provides practical and useful advice for policymakers that cuts through the noise to focus on what works.
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Hosszú leírás:
Generations of Americans, dating back to the nation’s founding, have regarded schools as essential for developing the knowledge and civic values necessary for sustaining democracy. Yet, as Matthew D. Nelsen argues in The Color of Civics, traditional approaches to civic education are not living up to their promise for many students, particularly students of color from disadvantaged communities. How do we prepare an increasingly diverse generation of Americans for full participation in public life?
Drawing on lessons from students and teachers in Chicago, The Color of Civics reimagines the democratic purpose of civic education. Nelsen’s findings challenge some of the most widely cited civic education research, arguing that the content of traditional civic education courses privileges the political experiences of white political actors, and in turn, contributes to divergent political behaviors and participatory outcomes across racial and ethnic groups. He presents a new approach to civic education that aims to foster political empowerment by centering historically-grounded conversations about current events as well as critical categories of knowledge–those that highlight the agency and grassroots political action of marginalized groups. This approach increases rates of intended political participation among young people of color and heightens political empathy among white youth. Nelsen also highlights the agency of teachers in processes of socialization, exploring how their attitudes and lived experiences drive the implementation of more empowering civic learning environments.
By taking the histories and lived experiences of marginalized communities seriously, The Color of Civics asserts that civics courses can become spaces where young people begin to recognize their own agency, develop empathy, and define the terms of their own political participation. Including novel empirical research and an evidence-based analysis, Nelsen provides practical and useful advice for policymakers that cuts through the noise to focus on what works.
The Color of Civics teaches us what America’s young people, especially young people of color, learn about the nation’s political system, and their place within it. As debates rage about what is discussed in the classroom, this book provides what has been missing in the national conversation: the perspective of young people themselves. If you want to understand how civics is really taught—and what is actually learned—in America’s schools, read The Color of Civics.
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Tartalomjegyzék:
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: The Color of Civics
Chapter 2: Reimagining Civic Education
Chapter 3: Cultivating Youth Engagement
Chapter 4: From Solitary Heroes to Collective Action
Chapter 5: Experts at Things They Know
Chapter 6: Civics in Context
Chapter 7: Educating for Empowerment
Appendices
Notes
References
Index
