Authentic Communities in Democratic Schools: How Participant Beliefs, Organizational Structures, and School Culture Interact

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  In Roundtable Session: Transforming Urban Spaces for Democratic Education

Abstract

Even amid increased calls for civic education, democratic schools which allow students and teachers to make decisions regarding schooling and education have been largely ignored, resulting in sparse knowledge. The current qualitative study examines three high schools that share a commitment to engaging in decisions that benefit the well-being and growth of the community as a whole. These three schools work towards authentic community (Etzioni, 1996), a community that is responsive to the needs of all members and reflects shared values which balance autonomy and order. Findings from the current study suggest that there are three dimensions, population and beliefs, structures and procedures, and school and community culture which individually and collectively reflect the authenticty of democratic school communities.

Author

• Jennifer M. Worden, Harvard University