Democratic Learning and Political Engagement in a Market-Oriented Context

• In Event: Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: Division L Graduate Student Poster Session

Abstract

As market values increasingly undergird school reforms, scholars suggest that individualistic expressions of democracy are advanced at the expense of its deliberative and relational elements. While researchers have examined how the proliferation of market-oriented organizations has shifted the nature of democratic governance, few have investigated how these organizations generate new avenues for democratic teaching and learning. This study investigates this phenomenon through democratic theory to analyze how one type of organization, charter management organizations (CMOs), reshapes democratic learning and political engagement. Through a comparative case study of CMOs operating in two cities, this paper explores how CMOs foster political engagement among their stakeholders and what goals and avenues of democratic participation are being emphasized in the process.

Authors

• Laura Elena Hernandez, Learning Policy Institute

• Elise Castillo, University of California - Berkeley