ABSTRACT
This paper makes the case for including critical harmony as a complement to justice within civic education. The concept of harmony is significant for civic education because it acknowledges the crucial role that relationships play in society—an important moral, ethical, and social ideal in many cultures around the world. Harmony must also incorporate a critical dimension, however, by embracing conflict and tension, valuing difference and diversity, and striving for balance among divergent voices. By using examples of public issues such as housing and gender identity to illustrate the relational dimension of public policy, this paper argues that the concept of critical harmony can contribute to a more comprehensive foundation for students’ deliberation of civic issues.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Hana Jun for her careful assistance during manuscript preparation.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Li-Ching Ho
Li-Ching Ho is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include global civic education, multicultural education, and environmental citizenship education.
Keith C. Barton
Keith C. Barton is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Indiana University. His research interests include history education, human rights education, and curriculum history.