Student Writing for Self-Authorship and Democracy

• In Event: Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Students and Society: Developing Broader Skills

Abstract

Many higher education (especially public) institutions are sorely lacking when it comes to fostering civic action in their curriculum and practice (Giroux, 2011; Reason, 2013). If higher education institutions are to strengthen democracy, they must promote civic awareness in their students (Giroux, 2011; Reason, 2013). One method to achieve democratic pedagogy may be through the notion of self-authorship and student scholarly writing. Kegan and Baxter Magolda describe self-authorship as a state where an individual no longer relies on the authority and prescriptions of others to make her decisions, but rather, uses her “internal voice” and trusts her own abilities. The purpose of this research was to cast self-authorship as a democratic activity and link self-authorship to a student’s scholarly writing.

Author

• Angelo Joseph Letizia, Newman University