Discussion Outline for Reconstuctionism
1. It is perhaps easiest to see how one could be a social activist, initiating change, if one taught in the area of the social sciences. How could an English teacher be an activist in his own field? How could a physical scientist? How could a physical educator? Suggest concrete examples of involvement.
2. As a practical matter, how could a teacher assign grades for student participation in social action projects?
3. Do you agree with reconstructionists that our culture is in a state of crisis?
4. Do you feel that is proper for the schools to assume a leading role in reconstructing society?
5. Do you believe that in a “free marketplace of ideas” that the best ideas and solutions will inevitably command the greatest voter support?
6. Would you agree that progressivism doesn’t really equip students for active citizenship? Is it true that progressives tend to reach intellectual, “ivory tower” solutions to problems without initiating change?
7. Can this nation tolerate hundreds of thousands of “Jesse Jacksons” and “Ralph Naders”? Would such activism lead us down the wisest paths or would it hopelessly fragment our society, killing any hope for consensus?
8. How old do you think students need to be in order to have the social and intellectual maturity to learn social activism?
9. Do students or citizens have a right not to get involved in social issues and should this option be respected by reconstructionist educators?
10. Is social activism simply inconsistent with the bureaucratic nature of our schools? Could a principal tolerate student activism, or would it inevitably get out of hand and lead to conflict?
11. Do you feel that the “safeguards” mentioned in the paper would make social activism responsible enough?
12. Think of an example of a social action project that might be appropriate in scope for 1st or 2nd graders.
13. Is there potential for abuse in social activism, e.g., could teachers possibly manipulate students to carry out their own ends?
14. Why is it important to learn to accept the consequences of one’s actions? In what ways did Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. accept the inevitable consequences of their social activism?
15. Think of an example of a social action project that might be appropriate for a high school social studies class.