Forstenzer, J. (2017) A Democratic Ideal for Troubled Times: John Dewey, Civic Action, and Peaceful Conflict Resolution. Journal of Human Rights and Peace Studies.
Abstract
In an era defined by events that continuously shake Fukuyama’s thesis according to which liberal democracy constitutes the end of history, there is need for a democratic ideal that puts the role of civic action at the heart of its justification. In this article, I argue that John Dewey’s democratic ideal understood as a matter of civic co-creation, where democratic pursuits are continually redefined by citizens through solving communal problems – not set by history, once and for all – provides a valuable response to this need. To this end, this article reconsiders Deweyan democracy by: (1) presenting it as a transformational process, in opposition to liberal democracy; (2) discussing Dewey’s conception of active citizenship as requiring more than mere political participation; (3) articulating Dewey’s democratic ideal as a form of applied social intelligence; (4) making explicit the pedagogical consequences of Deweyan democracy; and (5) interpreting it as a form of peaceful conflict resolution aiming at balance in inter-personal relationships.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University. |
Keywords: | Democracy; Dewey; Fukuyama; Liberal Democracy; Collective Problem Solving; Education for Citizenship; Conflict Resolution. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Vice-Chancellor's Office (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 07 Jul 2017 11:12 |
Last Modified: | 07 Jul 2017 11:12 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University |
Refereed: | Yes |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:118707 |