Civic Responsibility in Dark Times

• In Event: Difference, Social Engagement, and Responsibility: Perspectives From the Dewey-Soka Heritage

Abstract

We live in dark times. The quality of life in contemporary schools and society is diminished in response to powerful forces. Rising materialism and consumerism, social and economic inequality, authoritarianism, violence, intolerance, and environmental degradation create deep divides within and among nations.
In the wake of neoliberal globalization and populist politics, expression of human intelligence and integrity is constrained. Aspirations for and approaches to civic learning and life are conceptually and strategically limited in response to relentless pressures toward expediency rather than significance, control rather than creativity, self-righteous defensiveness and aggression rather than compassion. Our way of life is not sustainable.
Yet the intensity and complexity of challenge we now face is not unprecedented. Woven throughout Dewey-Soka heritage—a living ecology of engaged philosophy and principled practice—a resonant pattern emerges. Distinctive yet complementary approaches to revitalizing civic learning and survivance (survival-resistance) are advocated—educational efforts aimed at supporting all people in finding meaning, integrity and hope.
In response, we are compelled to consider the promise of educating for deeper, more effectively and civically engaged thinking/sensing/feeling/acting/being. We are further compelled to explore approaches to comprehensive implementation in diverse settings—classrooms and universities, local communities and voluntary associations, political institutions and government bureaucracies, philanthropic organizations and social movements—all at play on a global scale.
To this end, I begin by exploring parallel attempts to re-envision the primary purpose of mass, public education as reflected in Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s theory of value creation and John Dewey’s conceptualization of creative democracy. Although they worked in very different times and places, each sought to educate all people not only to cope with the challenges of personal and community life, but also to navigate systemic change arising in response to large-scale social and environmental forces. Both philosopher/educator/activists asserted that social transformation begins with the individual, and is then advanced through carefully structured, skillfully facilitated interaction with diverse others aimed at addressing real world challenges affecting daily life.
I then move to the task of envisioning pedagogical imperatives necessary to revitalize contemporary civic education. Informed by Dewey-Soka heritage, I frame these imperatives as pedagogies of enlightenment and pedagogies of empowerment. I define pedagogies of enlightenment as practices shown to promote development of two complex capacities:
Insight: Capacity to suspend habits of thought and emotion thereby enhancing receptivity and heightening awareness that leads to deepened understanding and enriched relationships.
Inspiration: Capacity to find meaning and hope that motivate altruism and persistence when confronted with significant social challenge and change.
I define pedagogies of empowerment as practices shown to promote development of:
Social Inquiry: Capacity to learn with, from, and for diverse others; to construct
knowledge in an egalitarian, consensual, and purposeful manner.
Social Advocacy: Capacity to promote dialogue and deepen understanding across domains of power and difference thereby promoting inclusive, democratic, compassionate and just social and cultural change.
Again drawing from Dewey-Soka heritage, I present descriptions of pedagogical strategies appropriate to the development of each skill.

Author

• Ruthanne Kurth-Schai, Macalester College