Book Review: Political Argument in a Polarized Age: Reason and Democratic Life by Scott Aiken and Robert Talisse

Book Review N

Regional Engagement at a Crossroads: The Intersection of Neoliberalism, Access, and Democratic Engagement

Various modes of regional engagement are being developed at an increasing rate across the United States (US). The purpose of this article is to highlight a theoretical tension that currently informs the way conceptions of access are being produced in regional engagement practice. Generally, regional engagement has been organized within larger movements to improve democratic capacity. However, the practical expression of regional engagement has failed to seriously consider how the context of a market-based society shapes theoretical conceptions of access. This article distinguishes the differences between access to new markets and democratic access for social, political, and economic inclusion. This theoretical framework will help practitioners maintain forms of regional engagement that support the larger democratic engagement movement well into the 21st century

Leadership Education and Development for Justice Using the Canonical Framework of John Rawls\u27s A Theory of Justice

Higher education that presupposes a specific conception of justice do well in preparing students to make claims of justice from specific perspectives or positions. However, civic leadership students with a strong background in specific conceptions of justice are often not equipped with necessary skills, dispositions, and habits to exercise leadership in ways that can manage political contestation associated with competing claims of justice

Leadership Education and Development for What?: Civic Imagination for a More Just and Democratic Society

When institutions assign meaning to individual rights and distribute resources in ways that shape the life chances of people, if appropriately designed they strengthen social justice aims. Yet the natural outcome of how individuals relate to institutions does not automatically align with justice

Table of contents and introductory materials for Vol. 43, no. 1, Fall 2015

This content includes the table of contents, an In Memoriam for Chad Litz, editorial information and more for this special issue Approaches to Social Justice and Civic Leadership Education

Educational Considerations, vol. 43 (1) Fall 2015 Full Issue

Educational Considerations, vol. 43 (1) Fall 2015-Full Issu

Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on Power: Recognizing Processes That Undermine Effective Community-University Partnerships

Interrelational power dynamics are intimately connected to the success of any relationship and are especially critical in developing and sustaining mutually beneficial, reciprocally engaged partnerships. This work analyzes how elements of power impact the negotiation of engagement in community-university partnerships. Although this piece is a general theoretical account of power, it indicates very specific implications for community partners. A hypothetical example is used to contextualize distinct power challenges that confront community partners and faculty members during the engagement process. Specific attention is given to how organizational structure, the academic calendar, and the creation of knowledge influence produced understandings of differentials in power and differentials in need. The paper concludes with a discussion of three applied strategies that can be used to neutralize differentials in power and recognize differentials in need associated with the development of community-university partnerships. The theoretical language of differentials in power and differentials in need will arm practitioners with analytical tools to shape more meaningful partnerships

Mapping Intersects of Power and Reciprocity in Adult EducationDeliberative Civic Engagement and Leadership Development in Community-Engaged Scholarship

The purpose of this work is to assist in identifying and naming dynamic relational forces that shape the effectiveness of community engagement. Understanding power from the perspective of reciprocity supports adaptive and transformational learning necessary to increase the effectiveness of community-engaged partnerships and scholarship

Connecting general education programming with regionally-engaged learning economies: The results of a community inquiry and dialogue

There is a growing effort to more intentionally situate higher education as an anchor institution within a larger regional, social, political, and economic ecosystem. This paper describes the civic process and outcomes of a community inquiry that considered the relationship between general education programming at comprehensive universities and the trajectory of regional economies. The community inquiry leveraged intergroup dialogue techniques to provide a unique community perspective on potential ways general education can inform engaged learning economies. The result of this community inquiry and dialogue highlight three broad themes that could connect general education programs to engaged learning economies in other regions: campus-community partnerships, logistics of a general education program, and reconsidering the relationship between academic knowledge and soft skills. The results section describes, summarizes, and analyzes the proceedings from the perspective of community