Troubling the Canon of Citizenship Education

The Editors: George H. Richardson is Associate Professor in the Department of Secondary Education at the University of Alberta. He holds an M.A. in history and a Ph.D. in curriculum studies (social studies education) from the University of Alberta. His research interests include national identity formation, citizenship education, multicultural education, and action research. Before his appointment to the University of Alberta, he was a classroom teacher for more than twenty years. He has taught in Canada’s northern schools and in the Ukraine. Among his numerous publications is The Death of the Good Canadian: Teachers, National Identities and the Social Studies Curriculum (Peter Lang, 2002).David W. Blades is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Teacher Education at the University of Victora. He holds a Ph.D. in secondary education (science education) from the University of Alberta and a M.Ed. in curriculum studies from the University of Victoria. He has been a director of two centers for excellence in science education. Dr. Blades has published widely on citizenship education, multiculturalism, poststructuralism, and issues in curriculum reform, including Procedures of Power & Curriculum Change (Peter Lang, 1997).

«Richardson and Blades have assembled a book of richly provocative essays that challenges many of our complacent assumptions about civic education and suggests intriguing ideas for its revival in our schools. Their book will reward the attention of scholars and teachers alike.» (Eamonn Callan, Professor of Education and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Education, Stanford University)«Richardson’s and Blades’ edited collection offers an exciting and diverse synthesis of material placing ‘citizenship’ and ‘citizenship education’ at the centre of social and cultural inquiry. Not only do they extend the growing educational literature critiquing the canonical premises of citizenship and citizenship education. They also move beyond traditions that treat citizenship and citizenship education as solely derivative of the processes of democratization. The outcome is an extremely powerful and erudite set of texts that speak directly to the fallacies commonly associated with concepts such as citizenship and democracy in the 21st century. A serious ‘must read’ for anyone interested in understanding the limits of democracy in a globalizing world order.» (Jo-Anne Dillabough, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies, University of British Columbia)

• Contents: David W. Blades/George H. Richardson: Introduction: Troubling the Canon of Citizenship Education – Alan M. Sears/Emery J. Hyslop-Margison: The Cult of Citizenship Education – Terrance R. Carson: The Lonely Citizen: Democracy, Curriculum, and the Crisis of Belonging – Yvonne Hébert/Lori Wilkinson: Diversity and Democratic Values: Implications for Public Policy – Jennifer Tupper: Education and the (Im)Possibilities of Citizenship – Hans Smits: «Weak Ontology» as a Way of Reenchanting Citizenship in the Social Studies: A Memo with Some Random Notes – Jyoti Mangat: Watch This [White] Space: Canadian Students Interrogating Citizenship and Identity – Ingrid Johnston: Dislocating the Dominant Narratives of Citizenship in English Language Arts – Kent den Heyer: Defining Presence as Agents of Social Life and Change – Lori B. Macintosh/Lisa W. Loutzenheiser: Queering Citizenship – William F. Pinar: From Chattel to Citizenry: The Gender of the Law in the Sexual Politics of Race – David W. Blades/George H. Richardson: Restarting the Interrupted Discourse of the Public Good: Global Citizenship Eduction as Moral Imperative – David Geoffrey Smith: Troubles with the Sacred Canopy: Global Citizenship in a Season of Great Untruth.