We are gearing up for the first annual Summer Institute of Civic Studies at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service. We have enrolled about 25 graduate students from universities across the country (and a few overseas visitors).
Designing the curriculum has been an exercise in deciding what is central and what is peripheral to the study of active citizenship. What is most important to know if you want to be an active, effective, member of a community? That question could be asked in various contexts. For instance, high school students should probably learn different things from adult activists who want become more effective citizens. We have been focused on students in PhD programs, whose interests will be relatively academic and theoretical. I am looking forward to a rich debate about what is most important for these PhD students to learn if they choose to study active citizenship. Our syllabus represents just one answer to that question. I have posted it below the fold.
Summer Institute for Civic Studies
Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University
Instructors: Steve Elkin (SE), Peter Levine (PL), Karol Soltan (KS)
Outline of Seminar Sessions and Readings
July 13
Introductions and Opening Comments (9:45-10:15)
Seminar on Civic Theory (10:30 am – 12:30 pm)
Introduction (PL, KS)
Readings:
- Vaclav Havel, Address at Wroclaw University (December 21, 1992)
- Vincent Ostrom, “Citizen Sovereigns…” (2005 John Gaus Lecture), PS, 39 (2006): 13-17
Topic: Institutional design (I) — Collective-action problems and solutions (PL, KS)
Readings:
- Thomas Dietz, Nives Dolsak, Elinor Ostrom, and Paul C. Stern, “The Drama of the Commons,” in Elinor Ostrom, ed., Drama of the Commons, pp. 3-26.
- John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness: Quiescence and Rebellion in an Appalachian Valley, pp. 3-32.
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: The citizen in development (PL)
Readings:
- Michael Schudson, The Good Citizen, pp. 1-10, 188-232
- Joel Westheimer and Joseph E. Kahne, “Educating the ‘Good Citizen’: Political Choices and Pedagogical Goals,” PS Online
- Constance Flanagan, “Developmental Roots of Political Engagement,” PS: Political Science and Politics, 36 (2), 257-261.
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Professor Carmen Sirianni, Brandeis University, on collaborative governance
July 14
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Institutional design (II) – exchange, authority and persuasion (KS).
Reading:
- Charles Lindblom, Politics and Markets, Chapters 1-4, pp. 3-62
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: Deliberation and negotiation (PL, KS)
Readings:
- Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting to Yes (2d ed.), Chapter 1 “Don’t Bargain Over Positions” pp. 3-14.
- John Gastil, Political Communication and Deliberation, pp. 3-38.
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Archon Fung, “Recipes for Public Spheres: Eight Institutional Design Choices and Their Consequences” in Journal of Political Philosophy, vol. 11, No. 3. (September 2003), pp. 338-67.
- Bernard Manin “Deliberation: Why We Should Focus on Debate Rather Than Discussion.”
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Professor Archon Fung, Harvard University, on participation and deliberation in democratic governance.
July 15
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Putnam and social capital (PL)
Readings:
- Robert D. Putnam, “Community-Based Social Capital and Educational Performance,” in Ravitch and Viteritti, eds., Making Good Citizens, pp. 58-95;
- Jean L. Cohen, “American Civil Society Talk,” in Robert K. Fullinwider, ed., Civil Society, Democracy, and Civic Renewal, pp. 55-85.
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: Public work (PL)
Reading:
- Harry C. Boyte and Nancy N. Kari, Building America: The Democratic Promise of Public Work, pp. 1-32
- Carmen Sirianni and Lewis A. Friedland, The Civic Renewal Movement: Community-Building and Democracy in the United States, pp. 118-148
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Professor Richard Lerner, Tufts University, on Positive Youth Development and its implications for civic engagement
July 16
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Habermas and the critical theory
Readings:
- Jurgen Habermas, “The Public Sphere: An Encylopedia Article,” New German Critique, 3 (1974), pp. 49-55;
- Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding Politics, pp. 1-22.
- James Finlayson, Habermas: A Very Short Introduction, Chapters 1, 2, 4 (pp. 1-27, 47-61);
- “Critical Theory,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online.
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: Social movements (KS)
Readings:
- Bikhu Parekh, Gandhi, Chapter 4 (“Satyagraha”), pp. 51-62;
- Berel Rodal, “Bottom-Up, Inside-Out: The Record and Potential of Civilian-Based Non-violent Power…”
- Peter Ackerman, “Skills or Conditions: What Key Factors Shape the Success or Failure of Civil Resistance?”
- Marshall Ganz, “What Is Public Narrative?”
- Marshall Ganz, “Why David Sometimes Wins: Strategic Capacity in Social Movements”
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Professor Kent Portney, Tufts University, Community Participation and Sustainable Cities
July 17
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Unger and radical democracy (KS)
Readings:
- Roberto Unger, Social Theory: Its Situation and Its Task, Introduction (pp. 1-17), Chapter 6 (pp. 80-169)
- Roberto Unger, Democracy Realized “A Manifesto” (pp. 263-77)
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: Community organizing (PL)
Reading:
- Mark R. Warren, Dry Bones Rattling, pp. 3-71;
- Carmen Sirianni and Lewis A. Friedland, The Civic Renewal Movement: Community-Building and Democracy in the United States, 15-42.
No Civic Topics: Weekend break
July 20
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Flyvbjerg and social science as phronesis (KS)
Readings:
- Bent Flyvbjerg, “Social Science that Matters” (2006)
- Bent Flyvbjerg, “Making Organization Research Matter: Power, Values and Phronesis” (2006)
- David Garvin, “Making the Case”
- Robert Bellah et al. Habits of the Heart, Appendix (pp. 297-307).
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: The American regime (SE)
Readings:
- The Federalist, numbers 9, 10, 51
- Stephen Elkin, Reconstructing the Commercial Republic, Chapters 2-3 (pp. 19-73).
- Jennifer Nedelsky, Private Property and American Constitutionalism, Chapters 1-2 (pp. 1-66).
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
July 21
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Madison and thinking constitutionally (SE)
Readings:
- Stephen Elkin, Reconstructing the Commercial Republic, Chapters 4-5 (pp. 74-146)
- James Ceaser, “Reconstructing Political Science” (pp. 41-69)
- Edwin Haefele, “What Constitutes the American Republic?” (pp. 207-31) in Elkin and Soltan, eds, A New Constitutionalism
- Lon Fuller, “Ends and Means” in Winston, ed., Principles of Social Order, pp. 47-64.
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: In the Shadow of Civil War (KS)
Readings:
- Arend Lijphart, “Constitutional Design for Divided Societies,” Journal of Democracy, 15(2004): 96- 109;
- Donald Horowitz, “Conciliatory Institutions and Constitutional Processes in Post-Conflict States,” William and Mary Law Review, 49 (2008): 1213- 1248.
- Kader Asmal, “Truth, Reconciliation, and Justice: The South African Experience in Perspective,” Modern Law Review, 63 (2000): 1-24.
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Professor Meira Levinson, Harvard University, on inequality in civic education
July 22
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Selznick and normative sociology (KS)
Readings:
- Philip Selznick, The Moral Commonwealth, Preface (p. ix-xiv), Chapter 1 (pp 3-38), Chapter 9 (pp. 231-64), Chapter 11 (pp. 289-309)
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: The world (KS)
- Singer, One World, 2d. ed. Chapter 5 (“One Community”), pp. 150-195;
- Michael Ignatieff , “The Attack on Human Rights,” Foreign Affairs, 80.2 (2001): 102-17;
- Richard Rorty, “Human Rights, Rationality, and Sentimentality.”
- James Speth, The Bridge at the Edge of the World, Chapter 10 (pp. 165-82);
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- The Earth Charter
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Elizabeth Lynn, Director of the Project on Civic Reflection
July 23
Seminar on Civic Theory (10am – noon)
Topic: Alinsky (and others), popular education and organizing (PL)
Readings:
- Saul Alinsky, Reveille for Radicals, 1946 (1969 edition), pp. 76-81; 85-88; 92-100, 132-5, 155-158.
- Myles Horton and Paulo Freire, We Make the Road by Walking, pp. 115-138
Seminar on Civic Practice: The venues of civic work (2-4 pm)
Topic: The Obama presidency (PL)
Readings:
- Senator Barack Obama, “A New Era of Service,” July 2, 2008
- Memorandum on “Transparency and Open Government”
- White House Open Government Initiative
- “Champions of Participation”
Civic Topics: Discussions with invited speakers (4:30-6 pm)
Marshall Ganz, Harvard University, community organizing
July 24
Concluding Public Conference
The Obama Administration’s Civic Agenda After Six Months
Friday, July 24, noon – 2:30 pm
Speakers:
Alan Solomont
Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service
Harry Boyte
University of Minnesota
Archon Fung
Harvard University
Marshall Ganz
Harvard University
Peniel Joseph
Tufts University
Xolela Mangcu
University of Johannesburg
Carmen Sirianni
Brandeis University
And others to be announced