Abstract
In this response essay, the author provides an account of the role of social movements in a democracy as part of a larger argument about democratic school governance. Focusing on Black Lives Matter (BLM), the author contends that social movements like BLM support a vibrant and legitimate democracy because they constitute vital nodes in the ongoing, norm-governed conversation that constitutes democratic politics. To make this argument, the author defends an account of democratic deliberation that recognizes (1) the contribution of emotion to our capacity for reason and (2) the fact that deliberation extends beyond the confines of official democratic fora. Zooming in on democratic school politics, the author argues that this expanded account of democratic deliberation and attendant recognition of the role that social movements can play helps clarify how to realize democratic school governance under conditions of unjust racial inequality.
Response to Article
Kathleen Knight-Abowitz and Kathleen M. Sellers, Pragmatist Thinking for a Populist Moment: Democratic Contingency and Racial Re-Valuing in Education Governance
Recommended Citation
Reid, E.
(2023).
Social Movements, Deliberation, and Educational Governance. A Response to “Pragmatist Thinking for a Populist Moment”.
Democracy and Education,
31
(2), Article 5.
Available at:
https://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol31/iss2/5