Abstract
Educating for democracy, seen within a liberal democratic framework, requires that students develop the requisite knowledge and skills to recognize injustice and work effectively to oppose it. Stitzlein’s notion of dissent is examined in conjunction with Kahne and Westheimer’s argument for teaching democratic capacities by actively engaging students in addressing real world problem. This paper further suggests that for active dissent to lead to real change, we must extend our notion of dissent to include the knowledge and skills to influence the balance of power. Teaching students for democracy requires teaching them theory, history, and techniques of nonviolent action so they may be aptly empowered to play a vital role in the formulation, maintenance, and alteration of the rules and policies of our society.
Response to this Article
Mary Lee Morrison, Peacelearning and Its Relationship to the Teaching of Nonviolence
Recommended Citation
Peterson, B. A.
(2014).
Nonviolent Action as a Necessary Component in Educating for Democracy.
Democracy and Education,
22
(1), Article 2.
Available at:
https://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol22/iss1/2