Democracy at a Crossroads

<p>At a time of questionable civility in American politics democratic education appears to be  at a <em>crossroads</em>. As we consider how to best explore democracy and foster a more civically-engaged populace in the current socio-political context it is critical to examine what frames our educational systems policies and practices and shapes our civic identity. While teachers struggle with decreased instructional time for social studies and the demands of standardized tests the social sciences are often pushed to the margins. Reflecting on how to negotiate local state national and global tensions related to policy and practice educators work to do what is best to equip students to foster democratic citizenship and ideals.</p><p>Social sciences educators are uniquely positioned to embrace a journey that upholds democratic ideals of equality freedom and justice while simultaneously critiquing inequity and injustice in schools and our society. The contributors to this volume situate a variety of discussions within the context of <em>the crossroads</em> and explore how to negotiate translate and reconceptualize our own beliefs and positionings in ways that positively influence and empower students teachers teacher educators and education policy makers. Studies are presented related to civic education cross-cultural interpretations emotional citizenship international economics and race-consciousness as well as those that discuss how to challenge dominant narratives and negotiate educational policies and practices.</p><p> </p>