The importance of civic culture: Toward intellectual solidarity and community agency

Abstract

In this critical case study, we examined the ways civic culture developed at an action civics summer camp and provided implications for civics teaching and learning. Findings highlight how the camp context produced and simultaneously failed to yield a culturally participatory inclusive civic culture. Specifically, we found the emphasis on dialogue, inquiry, and attention to place during the camp experience supported actors in developing positive civic culture exchanges. However, the civic culture that emerged at the camp also included white hetero-normative cultural practices and ideologies which discouraged participation among some students with non-dominant identities. Further, students of all identities did little to engage in civic experiences beyond the camp. We suggest that these shortcomings might be overcome by intentionally designing learning experiences to address these concerns, supporting counselors to understand how to mediate sensitive projects, and demonstrating to students how to perpetually engage with civic concerns.

The present and future of doing Philosophy with Children: Practical philosophy and addressing children and young people’s status in a complex world.

“…The study conducted by Magill et al (2022) into an "action civics summer camp" experience for young people to support community agency and engagement were keen to find a framework that might help the young people to "work through the challenges and uncertainties of real and perpetual civic engagement beyond the camp" (p. 10). The success of the camp was varied, with some participants not engaging in their communities after the life of the camp.…”

Sorting through citizenship: A case study on using cognitive scaffolding to unpack adolescent civic identity formation

“…), individualized civic acts (voting and obeying laws), and limited symbols of patriotism (the pledge of allegiance) (Barton & Levstik, 2004;Journell, 2010;Westheimer, 2015). The overemphasis on individualism, simplistic patriotism, and character education within the social studies classroom overlooks the role of power, solidarity, and the building of coalitions in American political life (Haste & Bermudez, 2017;Liu, 2018;Magill & Rodriguez, 2021). Rather than being taught that "actual civic engagement takes place in a variety of social scenarios, [by] addressing multiple issues, and through a range of different means," classroom contexts tend to communicate to students that civic actors operate within the bounds of predetermined norms (e.g., knowledge of political institutions) (Haste & Bermudez, 2017, pp.…”

“…By the end of the camp, the group project goal had changed. The change in the group's goal shows how students began to consider not just how to serve their community but how to cultivate solidarity with those receiving the services they intended to provide (Magill & Rodriguez, 2021).…”

“…Forming solidarity with others to address community issues requires citizens to transgress ideological barriers and differences. Solidarity asks individuals to look beyond themselves and towards the collective good, making it a particularly difficult outcome in educational spaces that emphasize neoliberal discourses and individualism (Magill & Rodriguez, 2021). This student's participation in Youth Act afforded him the opportunity to learn about the value of solidarity and serves as a call for educators to consider how to teach students the importance of solidarity and collective action in civic life.…”

Socratic seminar: a transformational approach to vertical and horizontal historical analysis

“…Socratic seminar can be a pedagogical tool that can help students develop social and historical analysis skills for more transformational and participatory democratic citizenship. We further argue that it is a tool for developing intellectual solidarity when purposefully designed for social justice ends (Magill et al. , 2022; Magill and Rodriguez, 2021; Magill and Rodriguez, 2022).…”