Concepción Naval

Civic pedagogies in higher education : teaching for democracy in Europe, Canada and the USA

Civic Pedagogies in Higher Education: Teaching for Democracy in Europe, Canada and the USA Jason Laker, Kornelija Mrnjaus and Concepcion Naval 1. Human Rights Education through Study Visits of Human Rights Institutions Peter G. Kirchschlaeger 2. Building Community in the Silicon Valley Dayana Salazar and Melinda Jackson 3. Negotiating Change in Romanian Tertiary Education: Volunteering and Democratic Citizenship Maria-Carmen Pantea 4. Democratic Citizenship and the University Curriculum: Three Initiatives in England Tristan McCowan 5. Standing on Guard? History, Identity, and the Quandaries of Citizenship Education in Canada Jane G. V. McGaughey 6. Student Designed Deliberative Forums as a Pedagogical Method Alex Sager 7. Learning to Participate: International Experiences of Service-Learning and Community Service Programs Concepcion Naval, Carolina Ugarte, Arantzazu Martinez-Odria 8. The Personal is Pedagogical: A Microcosmic Conversation on Democratic Education Jason A. Laker, Minna Holopainen and Lorri Capizzi

Citizenship, Democracy and the University: Theory and Practice in Europe and North America

There are a number of issues and debates surrounding notions of citizenship, including how civil society prepares its population or particular sub-populations for engaged democratic participation. This is further complicated by diverse views about individual and national identities, immigration and policies and debates of accommodation versus assimilation. As globalization continues to blur individual, institutional and national boundaries, there are calls from and to multiple sectors to articulate productive methods for achieving the ideals of democracy and social cohesion. Institutions within the education sector — from early childhood through primary and secondary schools, onward to post-secondary and vocational education, and finally to those providing adult and lifelong learning — are all subject to these expectations. While each of these sub-sectors are instrumental to these issues, arguably post-secondary education is pivotal in that it is both a strategic enabler and subject to the knowledge and regulations arising from its research production.

Gli habitus e la personalizzazione dell’insegnamento

Not only should education professionals be expert in the subject(s) they teach; they should also strive to foster the aesthetic, ethical and civic capacities of students. In this regard, teaching is an ethical act which grounds a reciprocal relationship between individuals and whose purpose is to encourage the development of a set of habits among students as well as teachers. This chapter comprises a study of the idea of habit and its contribution to the development of an ethics of teaching. First, the Aristotelian view of habit as personal enrichment through the stable harmonization of spontaneity with the good is addressed. Then, the classical Aristotelian conception is further explored in light of the contemporary recovery of practical reason, read in relation to habit, freedom and personalization in the education process. Finally, the ways in which current perspectives outside the Aristotelian tradition, such as Dewey’s philosophy, may also encompass the concept of habit as a cornerstone of personal integration are also examined.

Citizenship Education Versus Reality: The Facts in Spain

In Spain, citizenship education has, in accordance with political change, adjusted to the laws that have governed the education system. In this work, Naval and Arbues review the evolution of educational policy, and analyze certain changes which affect social justice and offer explanations to aid in understanding the proposals for education in Spain. They refer briefly to the most recent past, to the transition to democracy and the creation of social rights (Esping-Andersen. Fundamentos sociales de las economias postindustriales. Ariel, Barcelona, 2000). The authors also tackle three contemporary issues: the effects of the economic crisis on young people, certain social phenomena and, finally, the impact of technology on the information society – issues which give an idea of the development of practice in civic education and suggest future research in this field.

Introduction — Civic Pedagogies in Higher Education: Teaching for Democracy in Europe, Canada and the USA

There has been a substantial and growing discussion in educational literature about the skills necessary to be taught to students in order to prepare them to be engaged and agential citizens within democracies. Unfortunately, there has been a much smaller body of literature on effective pedagogical practices that foster the requisite knowledge, skills and dispositions in students to achieve this. This text is intended to engage the latter subject in two complementary ways. First, the chapters herein offer scholarly discussions about pedagogical and philosophical aspects of the project of fostering Citizenship, Democratic and Human Rights commitments among students. Second, the colleagues who provided chapters offered narratives about their experiences, dilemmas and choices as teachers navigating the complexities of this extraordinarily complex and consequential endeavor. In some cases, they were courageously honest about the difficulties, personal and professional risks associated with this work. Arguably, for those among us who see the practice of teaching as a linchpin to achieving the ideal of a democratic community, it is a false dichotomy to speak of personal and professional as if they are different things.

Learning to Participate: International Experiences of Service-Learning and Community Service Programs

Defined as disinterested care for the needs of others, voluntary work can be explained in terms of the social and relational nature of human beings, who may reach fulfillment through concern for the good of those around them. Interest in this issue has increased in recent times. Historically, voluntary activities have differed with regard to organizational procedures, underlying values or even official titles; however, such activities share a common objective: freely-given and free, committed service of others (Martinez-Odria, 2005a).

Editorial. Europe as an Educational Framework: Cultures, Values and Dialogues

The reality of Europe is that it comprises diverse cultures, with different ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. However, over and above these characteristics, there is common ground which is accepted, in theory at least, by its citizens and politicians. This basis may be summarized as: human rights and universal citizenship. This common base allows for and facilitates that frequently controversial political, social and civic dialogue which is the foundation on which a common European identity may be built.