From Imagining America:
The fascinating new book, Democracy’s Education: Public Work, Citizenship, and the Future of Colleges and Universities edited by Harry C. Boyte, delves into the idea that Americans feel powerless to address the mounting problems that face this country.
In an opening essay, Boyte advises educators to claim and use their sometimes unappreciated power in the face of these problems. He challenges them to lead a movement in the rethinking of education, the meaning of citizenship, the state of the working world in today’s society, and the challenge of addressing public issues. Boyte believes that education is “the anchoring institution of citizenship.” Education, according to Boyte, shapes public identities and career paths of students and influences the methods and structures of many professions.
Boyte coordinated an association, called the American Commonwealth Partnership, of several hundred colleges and universties to strengthen higher education as a public good. This book builds on the ideas practiced by the American Commonwealth Partnership.
In the book, presidents and public officials portray their roles as public philosphers and architects of wide ranging policy changes. There are accounts from students, faculty, and staff in which they discuss the changing curriculum, student life, and alumni relationships. All of these factors allow current students to create opportunites to develope public action and concern for a commonwealth which they are helping to generate. Students also narrate their findings and experiences of becoming controlling factors of change, and get into their plans for careers packed with public principles.
Internationally praised scholars from South Africa and Japan include thier own thoughts about civic challenges as well. Professional organizers and civic leaders, from outside the higher education world, tell of their own methods of reaching their goals as well.
As an assortment of educators and civic leaders react to the argument and move forward with their own beliefs on the matter, they will begin to make a change for the better. Through this movement, an influential account of dynamic citizenship and educational improvement comes to light.
Even though Democracy’s Education doesn’t focus specifically on the Mid-Atlantic Region, it covers issues that the entire world can relate to. And that is what makes it a surely fascinating read.
You can order the book, in print or for Kindle, here.