In this provocative collection of essays with a distinctly critical and nuanced approach to how
democracy is taught learned understood and lived authors from four continents share their
visions on how democracy needs to be cultivated critiqued demonstrated and manifested
throughout the educational experience. The collective concern is how we actually do democracy
in education. The essays argue that democracy must be infused in everything that happens at
school: curriculum extra-curricular activities interaction with parents and communities and
through formal organization and structures. One of the book's central questions is: Are
educators merely teaching students skills and knowledge to prepare them for the world of work
or is education more about encouraging students to thrive within a pluralistic society? This
book reveals that democracy is an ethos an ideology a set of values a philosophy and a
complex and dynamic terrain that is a contested forum for debate. From seasoned veterans to
emerging scholars these writers challenge the idea that there is only one type of democracy
or that democracy is defined by elections. Using a range of theoretical conceptual and
methodological approaches each essay makes a compelling case for how education can advance a
more critical engagement in democracy that promotes social justice and political literacy for
all. Diverse examples illustrate the theme of doing democracy. With its numerous models for
teaching and learning to encourage critical thinking and engagement this book is certain to be
an invaluable resource to educators researchers students and anyone with a passion for
democratic ideals.
