During America's Progressive Era at the beginning of the
twentieth century, democracy was more alive than it is today.
Social activists and intellectuals of that era formed institutions
where citizens educated themselves about pressing issues and public
matters. While these efforts at democratic participation have
largely been forgotten, their rediscovery may represent our best
hope for resolving the current crisis of democracy in the United
States.
Mattson explores the work of early activists like Charles
Zueblin, who tried to advance adult education at the University of
Chicago, and Frederic Howe, whose People's Institute sparked the
nationwide forum movement. He then turns to the social centers
movement, which began in Rochester, New York, in 1907 with the
opening of public schools to adults in the evening as centers for
debate over current issues. Mattson tells how this simple program
grew into a national phenomenon and cites its achievements and
political ideals, and he analyzes the political thought of
activists within the movement--notably Mary Parker Follett and
Edward Ward--to show that these intellectuals had a profound
understanding of what was needed to create vigorous democratic
practices.
Creating a Democratic Public challenges us to reconsider how we
think about democracy by bringing us into critical dialogue with
the past and exploring the work of yesterday's activists. Combining
historical analysis, political theory, and social criticism,
Mattson analyzes experiments in grassroots democracy from the
Progressive Era and explores how we might foster more public
involvement in political deliberation today.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
