By Julian Culp
Abstract:The aim of this entry is to present a non-ideal approach to democratic education by discussing four contemporary challenges to democracy and education: social pluralism, globalization, post-colonial theory, and digital political communication. To clarify its understanding of democratic education, the entry distinguishes four relationships between democracy and education: education for democracy, education through democracy, education within democracy, and democracy within education. Focusing exclusively on education for democracy under non-ideal conditions, the entry shows that education for democracy demands developing different kinds of attitude, knowledge, and skills, depending on which challenge such education is addressing. These attitudes, knowledge, and skills range from toleration, cross-cultural understanding, and historical memory to media literacy. The specific meanings and practical implications of education for democracy are thus context dependent. The entry concludes that these multiple meanings of democratic education are characteristic of a non-ideal approach that starts from democratic failures and problems rather than from a perfectly functioning democratic system.
Published:
Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2026
DOI:
doi.org/10.4337/9781035317707.00016
Online available:
www.elgaronline.com