Alan Sears and Emery Hyslop-Margison, in "The Cult of Citizenship Education", illuminate the driving discourse behind the seeming explosion in democratic citizenship education reform with particular attention to the last decade.
Sears and Hyslop-Margison lay a solid foundation of scholarship to support their claim of a climate of educational reform driven by mere slogans and dogma, rather than any meaningful research or reliable data. Calling on Janice Gross Stein’s 2001 Massey Lectures, "The Cult of Efficiency", Sears and Hyslop-Margison, in accessible terms, explain that meaningful dialogue around issues of educational reform is precluded by the participants being caught up in a maze of rapid-fire rhetoric. As a result, "The Cult of Citizenship Education", is a call for a more careful, thoughtful, and nuanced approach in understanding and promoting democratic citizenship education and its reform.
The Cult of Citizenship Education
“A dread that goes beyond the breakdown of bowling leagues and civic clubs… the fear of our young as letterless, unassailable barbarians”
(Pinsky, 2002).
Alan Sears and Emery Hyslop-Margison, in The Cult of Citizenship Education, illuminate the driving discourse behind the seeming explosion in democratic citizenship education reform with particular attention to the last decade.
Sears and Hyslop-Margison lay a solid foundation of scholarship to support their claim of a climate of educational reform driven by mere slogans and dogma, rather than any meaningful research or reliable data. Calling on Janice Gross Stein’s 2001 Massey Lectures, The Cult of Efficiency, Sears and Hyslop-Margison, in accessible terms, explain that meaningful dialogue around issues of educational reform is precluded by the participants being caught up in a maze of rapid-fire rhetoric. As a result, The Cult of Citizenship Education, is a call for a more careful, thoughtful, and nuanced approach in understanding and promoting democratic citizenship education and its reform.
Moving forward, Sears and Hyslop-Margison begin to analyze some of the rhetoric produced by this cult mentality. Their overarching claim is that a grossly distorted discourse of crisis has formed around the subject of citizenship education, and is a driving force in sweeping reforms resulting in little to no value in regards to meaningful reform. Sears and Hyslop- Margison synthesize the discourse of crisis into three main areas (1) the crisis of ignorance, (2) the crisis of alienation, and (3) the crisis of agnosticism. Calling forward a host of reputable scholars and research they attempt to disassemble these claims. Without wishing to compromise the integrity of their arguments, I will further summarize them for our purposes here.
Within the crisis of ignorance Sears and Hyslop-Margison assert that our youth are no more ignorant than that of a hundred years ago, and that which they are ignorant of is
‘questionable’ in its relevance to meaningful democratic citizenship; the listing of prime ministers and naming of famous Canadians was cited among other “arcane historical and political facts” (p. 18). Although respecting the potential problems associated with these perceived areas of ignorance in the Canadian population, Sears and Hyslop-Margison dismiss this as a crisis of citizenship stating that this knowledge is “not particularly essential to good citizenship” (p. 18).
Turning to the crisis of alienation, the authors refer to a conclusion of alienation from the socio-political apparatus that has been drawn, primarily, from steadily declining voter participation rates, especially among younger voters. Sears and Hyslop-Margison in essence endeavor to sever the idea of political alienation from that of civic alienation. Pointing to research that suggests contemporary youth are no more cynical than their parents, but rather less allegiant to partisan politics, concluding that today’s youth are merely alienated from a “political system closed to meaningful consultation and participation” (Buckingham, 1999, as cited on p. 18). They proceed to illustrate that this does not translate into across-the-board civic disengagement, but does perhaps reflect the significant voter decline. In fact, the authors turn to Gautier (2002) to demonstrate that youth are turning to a form of participatory democracy; they are engaging in social movements such as environmentalism, and that this form of civic engagement is increasing. Thus, our youth have merely shifted their participation away from the purely political process to a more “grass roots” form of engagement.
Frequently asked questions
What is "The Cult of Citizenship Education" about?
"The Cult of Citizenship Education" by Alan Sears and Emery Hyslop-Margison, examines the discourse driving democratic citizenship education reform, particularly in the last decade. It argues that reforms are often driven by slogans and dogma rather than meaningful research.
What is the central claim of the book?
The authors claim that educational reform is often based on mere slogans and dogma, not reliable data or meaningful research. They call for a more thoughtful and nuanced approach to understanding and promoting democratic citizenship education and its reform.
What is the "cult mentality" the authors refer to?
The "cult mentality" refers to a climate where meaningful dialogue about educational reform is hampered by rapid-fire rhetoric, making careful consideration difficult.
What is the "discourse of crisis" the authors discuss?
The authors argue that a distorted discourse of crisis surrounds citizenship education, driving sweeping reforms of questionable value. This discourse is synthesized into three main areas: (1) the crisis of ignorance, (2) the crisis of alienation, and (3) the crisis of agnosticism.
What is the "crisis of ignorance" as defined in the book?
The authors argue that claims that youth are more ignorant than previous generations are unfounded, and that the knowledge they lack (e.g., listing prime ministers) is not essential for good citizenship.
What is the "crisis of alienation" as defined in the book?
The authors contend that declining voter participation, especially among young voters, doesn't necessarily indicate civic disengagement. They suggest youth are merely alienated from a political system perceived as closed, and are engaging in alternative forms of civic participation like social movements.
What is the "crisis of agnosticism" as defined in the book?
The authors argue that incidents like ethically motivated attacks on foreign residents shouldn't be interpreted as a widespread deficit of democratic values among youth. They point to studies indicating youth are generally positive towards democratic values and concerned with ethno-cultural diversity.
What is the overall message of the book?
The book advocates for a more careful, thoughtful, and nuanced approach to understanding and promoting democratic citizenship education and its reform, moving away from reform driven by perceived crises and unsubstantiated claims.
- Quote paper
- Graduate Student Michael Ernest Sweet (Author), 2006, The Cult of Citizenship Education by A. Sears and E. Hyslop-Margison. A Review, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/110867
