Education and Citizenship at The University of Maryland

This seminar encourages students to think about one of the communities with which they are most familiar: schools. By studying the foundations of education, students will explore the dilemmas underlying democratic self-government. Central questions include: What does it mean to be an educated citizen, and is everyone (or anyone) capable of that standard? Which values are most important in education (freedom? equality? justice? self-realization?) and what should we do when they come into conflict? How do schools create community, and to what extent should they tolerate a diversity of beliefs? Are children ultimately the property of their parents or the state? Can education overcome prejudice? Students will examine the topic from a diverse set of disciplinary perspectives (including law, history, philosophy, and sociology) and ideological perspectives (ranging from libertarianism and conservatism to Marxism, postmodernism, and liberal pragmatism). To underscore the relevance of class discussions, we plan to take students on field trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with Congressional staffers involved with educational policymaking.