Description
Book SynopsisCivic matters affect all members of a community and are thus of potential concern to all. In Community Matters: Challenges to Civic Engagement in the 21st Century, six distinguished scholars address three perennial challenges of civic life: the making of a citizen, how citizens are to agree (and disagree), and how to define the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The thought-provoking essays in this volume discuss integral civic concerns such as: how can we improve civic education? How do we address controversy within our communities? What are the responsibilities of a citizen? Should the national draft be re-instated in the U.S? These essays will encourage students, academics, and interested citizens outside the academy to go farther and dig deeper into these vital issues.
Trade ReviewCommunity Matters makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of key issues in civic education, multicultural conflict, and national service. It is a must read for those engaged in debates on civic renewal in the U.S. I recommend it highly. -- Carmen Sirianni, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Brandeis University
Community Matters makes an extremely helpful contribution to a pressing issue for the country: How do we stop the hollowing out of our own democracy and rebuild a culture of healthy civic participation? This collection of essays is a nice civic sampler – aiding us with sound analysis, thoughtful insights and good advice. -- David Skaggs, Former Member of Congress and Executive Director, Center for Democracy & Citizenship, Council for Excellence in Governme
Table of ContentsChapter 1 I. The Challenge of Civic Education Chapter 2 Solving the Civic Achievement Gap in De Facto Segregated Schools Chapter 3 Civic Education and Political Participation Chapter 4 II. The Challenge of Civic Debate Chapter 5 State Symbals and Multiculturalism Chapter 6 Lessons from the Brooklyn Museum Controversy Chapter 7 III. Service in Deed?: Civic Engagement and the Prospect of Mandatory Military Service Chapter 8 A Sketch of Some Arguments for Conscription Chapter 9 Conscription—No Chapter 10 Conscription: Between the Horns
