Transforming Social and Civic Education
How do we prepare young people to work for a better world?
The time is right for a new way of thinking about the curriculum of social and civic education. In this book, we present a global vision for education, one that can guide students in the pursuit of societal justice and harmony. Drawing from diverse philosophical and cultural traditions, including Confucianism and Indigenous philosophies, as well as empirical research, we introduce curriculum principles designed to motivate and inform students’ thoughtful and compassionate deliberation of public issues.
This book is for classroom teachers, curriculum developers, education officials, and all those who are interested in preparing students for public life. These curriculum principles will resonate with educators around the world, in fields such as civics/citizenship, geography, history, and other social sciences, as well as those who emphasize human rights, sustainability, peace education, cultural diversity, moral and character education, and other societal concerns.
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Endorsements
Thought provoking, relevant, and timely. Kudos to Barton and Ho. They appeal to our hearts and heads in a thoughtful and compelling way that speaks to how justice and harmony can and should inform our collection action. This book offers an essential blueprint about how we prepare young citizens for public life in a diverse society. If you are looking for a book that offers knowledge, inspiration and hope this is the book that you need. Baron and Ho compel us to know, care and act.
Tyrone C. Howard, Professor, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California Los Angeles.
Barton and Ho call for a complete reorientation of social and civic education. They propose a curriculum that centers public action, an expanded view of deliberation, and an alloy of justice and harmony. The authors make a groundbreaking proposal here, just what’s needed to bring clarity of purpose, vivid examples, and a global perspective to education for democracy.
Walter C. Parker, Professor Emeritus, College of Education, University of Washington
Barton and Ho speak to social and civic education curriculum, undergirded by justice and harmony, and informed by intersecting world perspectives and philosophies. The international education community will find much relevant wisdom to address their own local concerns, yet this volume transcends the limitations of specific nations and contexts to emphasize our shared humanity and our common destinies.
A. Lin Goodwin, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong.