Abstract
In Transformative Civic Education in Democratic Societies (2023), Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert, Paul E. Mabrey III, and Chad Hoggan juxtapose international authors discussing and implementing civic education. The contributors’ geographical differences create a panorama of unique perspectives in theory and praxis of civic engagement in communities. They encourage adult education instructors to learn local, act local, and reflect globally in order to create “community-campus partnerships” (xii) wherein students do not just volunteer but become integral parts of their communities. Transformative Civic Education in Democratic Societies establishes that civil engagement in tandem with adult education programs can transform understandings of community participation, and thus transform students and citizens into lifelong student-citizens. This text addresses efforts to confront socioeconomic challenges through educational partnerships. They do so through theory, then expound the methods and tools of its contributors to ensure their applications match the context of their locality. Issues emerge from different perspectives, yet all touch on the vital roles of civic engagement in creating, sustaining, and defending democracy.
The editors’ preface posits that democratic governments allow citizens to live authentic, self-directed lives and warn readers that “democracy is not inevitable; it does not just happen” (xi) and positions civic education as vital to inspiring informed participation in democracy, thus educators can support transforming citizenship from a noun to a verb.
Part 1: Theories and Foundations situate civic educational theories as necessarily emerging from historical contexts because it is from the reflection on local history that successes or failures of contemporary movements make sense. Finnegan and Fleming describe critical reflection as instrumental in developing productive dialogue to create communities of critical citizenship. White, Brown, Martin, and Pevitz theorize that historically controversial issues create spaces where white supremacy is decentered and transformative civic education “recenters humanity as a whole” (24). Hoggan-Kloubert describes differences between civic education and indoctrination; Kelley and Watson theorize that civil education can develop critical consciousness in citizens especially during tumultuous times. Verbytska concludes Part 1 with a historic examination of civic education's essential role in maintaining a democratic Ukraine.
Part 2: Methods and Tools explain how contributors have designed/implemented their flavor of civic education. Gott, Johnson, and Tolar defend education as a priority for K-12 and post-secondary curriculums; Tatcho and Mehio build on their argument by advocating that critical rhetoric and peace-pedagogies focused composition classes create better-informed/more participatory citizens. Clemans and Mandell describe the successes of State University of New York in dissolving faculty hierarchies in favor of learning with/from one another. Brown, White, Pevitz, and Martin advocate for research/teaching methods that reciprocate learning with communities. Hou's study illustrates tensions that arise when teachers attempt to implement civic education; Surak and Pope's chapter provides plans for supporting those teachers. The chapters’ efforts focus on humanities but, unfortunately, neglect STEM courses as potential sites for civic education. Part 2 is especially applicable for educator development programmers who encourage instructors to incorporate elements of civil education across disciplines.
Part 3: Contexts and Applications bring readers into the authors’ experiences as they study civic engagement programs, implement civic engagement as stand-alone classes, or integrate elements of civil engagement into established courses. Anderson reports on the efforts of free Clemente Humanities Courses; Gomez and Hart watch civic education students become (at times hilariously) politically active. Olaniran and Baruwa address the insidious and democracy under-cutting practice of vote buying in Nigeria; Lawless provides roadmaps for social justice transformation through community building education; Lang and Evers study how forced migration can disrupt society while also rebuilding it and Le Rouge describes how her English composition course engages students in environmental awareness. The section concludes with Petrushenko's powerful examination of civil education's place in the Ukrainian struggle for democracy. His report describes the power of civic education as the Ukraine fends off constant anti-democratic attacks. The concluding sections contextualize the book as both a resource for theoretical foundations and an immediately implementable guide for building successful civic education programs.
Transformative Civic Education in Democratic Societies brings together disparate voices who unanimously conclude that civic education liberates citizens by teaching them to research local histories, reflect on issues which arise from that history, and participate in action based dialogue that affects the local sphere while connecting to a global humanity. I recommend this book to instructors who are seeking theories, tools, and applications that create reciprocal, and lifelong community participation. Hoggan-Kloubert, Mabrey, and Hoggan's text will inspire educators to think beyond the outline of their syllabus and into the hearts of students.
