AMST 3002 Envision Civics as an Antidote to Prejudice
March 10, 2021
What does civic health have to do with fighting hate and bigotry? How can community leaders partner with public officials to cultivate inclusion in civic efforts? In this course, you will learn directly from community leaders who have designed and implemented measures to build their communities’ civic health while challenging anti-Muslim bigotry and other forms of hate. This course highlights the common attributes of civically healthy communities and explores ways that civic health can function as an antidote for hate. This course challenges you to evaluate your own community’s civic health and identify specific areas for improvement.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how civic health can build community resilience and better prepare civic leaders to challenge hate and bigotry.
- Examine challenges to civic health, including polarization, bias, distrust, and lack of engagement.
- Apply civic health, governance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices to case studies.
- Assess the civic health of one’s community and begin envisioning ways to strengthen it.
Syllabus
Take WISE Steps
College, Graduate, Professional Development
Civic Education for a Common Good
We apply the U.S. Department of Education’s Consensus Statements about Constitutional Approaches for Teaching about Religion
▸ Our approach to religion is academic, not devotional;
▸ We strive for student awareness of religions, but do not press for student acceptance of any religion;
▸ We sponsor the study about religion, not the practice of religion;
▸ We expose students to a diversity of religious views, but may not impose any particular view;
▸ We educate about all religions, we do not promote or denigrate any religion;
▸ We inform students about religious beliefs and practices, it does not seek to conform students to any particular belief or practice.
We apply the American Academy of Religion’s “Religious Literacy Guidelines”
▸ “Religious Literacy Guidelines for College Students.” American Academy of Religion, 2019.
▸ “Teaching About Religion: AAR Guidelines for K-12 Public Schools.” American Academy of Religion, April 2010.
We apply the National Council for the Social Studies C3 Frameworks for Religious Studies
▸ College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, “Religious Studies Companion Document for the C3 Framework.” Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social Studies, 2017.
