Why Do We Cite John Dewey?

• In Event: Curriculum and Communication: Dewey’s Influence on Our Professional Lives

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore why John Dewey’s Democracy and Education is so frequently cited. Drawing on citations from January 2012 to June 2013, I discuss three different reasons for citing Dewey: some (the majority) cite Dewey simply as an origin, an almost mythical father of education; some cite Dewey because he has already thoroughly dealt with their theme; and some cite him because his work is a focus of their project or because elements of his thinking provide the terms of their problem or the mode of their analysis. Examples of the third sort of citation suggest that the scope of Dewey’s humanistic vision of education explains why he continues to be so frequently cited.

Author

• Robert E. Boostrom, University of Southern Indiana