Civic Education Post 9/11: Efficacy, Cosmopolitanism, and Pedagogical Implications

Abstract

The many discourses surrounding 9/11 place existing civic education in a tenuous space within the current political climate. The challenges of producing a universally acceptable interpretation and approach to democratic education have been compounded in the aftermath of 9/11. Due to a heightened sense of fear and an increased level of blind nationalism, many of the basic concepts in the Constitution, like equality, justice, and reciprocity have been temporarily de-emphasized for a more compartmentalized way of “American” living, based on concepts such as patriotism, loyalty, and safety. Given the current political climate, the time to revisit the goals of civic education as a conduit of a globalized deliberative democracy is now. The author argues that civic education programming would be better served if more emphasis were placed on the philosophical foundations of the subject.

Citation

Osanloo, A.F. (2007), "Civic Education Post 9/11: Efficacy, Cosmopolitanism, and Pedagogical Implications", Social Studies Research and Practice, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 180-195. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-02-2007-B0003