"There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these trembling cities the greatest is the last--the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion" - EB White.
Showing posts with label Contemproary Discourses of Citizenship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contemproary Discourses of Citizenship. Show all posts

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Assignment A - Citizenship Education

The views on citizenship by Banks et. al. in Democracy and Diversity, combine aspects of different discourses on citizenship as presented by Knight, Abowitz and Harnish in Review of Educational Research.
The discourse of citizenship that mostly closely aligns with Banks et. al. is transnational citizenship. Transnationalism traces its roots to the stoic tradition that idealized equality, compassion, democracy, universalism and humanism. Individuals and groups can share identity as citizens and at the same time share identity with communities of diverse people and nations around the world. The skills that need to be taught to students are tolerance and empathy, so that students can overcome the gaps that segregate people across intellectual, philosophical, and cultural lines. Citizenship education should help students gain a perspective on the personal, academic, pluralist, and global view of the human condition. The curriculum needs to be focused on universal human rights and needs to move away from a nation centered perspective to a “world-centered” view.
Banks et al. also borrow from the discourses of cultural citizenship. Diversity is seen as a resource, not a threat. Citizenship education should help students develop the skills to examine unity and diversity within their own country and comparatively to other nations. Students should be able to study the problems and questions related to major social groups including race, class, religion, ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual orientation. Students should be engaged in multicultural and anti-racist education.
Banks et al. agree with the reconstructionist discourse that students need to engage in active learning. Rather than being told about how democracy works students need to engage in democracy. Citizenship education should foster both engagement and criticism of the government. Teachers should emphasize critical patriotism, encouraging reasoned loyalty rather than teaching students to love their country without reason as advocated by the civic republican discourse.

Articles Cited:
Knight-Abowitz and Harnish. "Contemporary Discourses of Citizenship." Review of Educational Research 76 no. 4 (2006): 653-690

Banks, James et. Al. Democracy and Diversity: Principles and Concepts for Educating Citizens in a Global Age. Center for Multicultural Education. p. 7-38.
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