Routledge Diversity, Transformative Knowledge, and Civic Education: Selected Essays

WINNER 2021 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award The essays collected in this book, by James A. Banks, a foundational figure in the field of multicultural education, illuminate the interconnection between the author’s work on knowledge construction and civic education. In pieces both poignant and personal, Banks shares some of his most groundbreaking and innovative work. Diversity, Transformative Knowledge, and Civic Education aims to unpack the "citizenship-education dilemma," whereby education programs strive to teach students democratic ideals and values within social, economic, political, and educational contexts that contradict justice, equality, and human rights. For change to take place, students need to internalize democratic values, by directly experiencing them in transformative classrooms and schools that are envisioned and described in this book. Drawn from Banks’ formidable canon, this collection highlights the conceptual, curricular, and pedagogical issues related to this dilemma, and signals a fundamental shift toward transformative citizenship education. Students, scholars and educators in the fields of multicultural education, civic education, social studies education, comparative education, and the foundations of education will find this book to be a valuable resource for discussion and discovery. Review "Once again James A. Banks brings clarity and coherence to the ongoing debate of who is a citizen. In an era of rapid migration and increasing nationalist sentiments, the idea of the citizen is more important than ever. Banks brings together powerful scholarship and insightful analysis in a timely and significant volume." Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Family Distinguished Professor of Urban Education Emerita, University of Wisconsin, Madison "James A. Banks has unquestionably been a transformative leader, scholar, and practitioner on how to create global democracies for a changing nation and world. This comprehensive compilation of his publications represents the breadth and depth of Banks’ work, which will influence our understanding of democracy, diversity, knowledge construction, and civic education for decades to come." Tyrone C. Howard, Pritzker Family Endowed Chair in Education to Strengthen Children & Families, University of California, Los Angeles "In this engaging and informative collection of essays, James Banks describes how his personal biography of growing up in the segregated South has influenced his perspectives on the American saga and civic education. This timely book illuminates the importance of the current quests by marginalized groups around the world for full citizenship and sheds light on the heated and divisive debates that are taking place about citizenship and civic education." Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, President, Learning Policy Institute "Spanning several decades and various disciplines, the powerful research and writings of James Banks’ long and illustrious career have helped define the fields of multicultural education, knowledge construction, and civic education in the United States and beyond. Reading this collection is like a history lesson of diversity and transformative education in the 20th and 21st centuries." Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst "This book is a remarkable journey through a half-century of transformative ideas in the field of multicultural education, citizenship, and identity by its most pivotal figure. It lays out the demand of an intellectual tradition that education ensure it provides the conditions for a pedagogy that is transformative so that every student from any country can become a culturally grounded and fully engaged citizen." Gerard A. Postiglione, Chair Professor in Sociology and Educational Policy, The University of Hong Kong "Diversity, Transformative Knowledge, and Civic Educat