AMST 3002 Envision Civics as an Antidote to Prejudice
Civic health is an antidote to bigotry. Explore inspiring stories of communities and leaders who, despite a heightened climate of anti-Muslim bigotry, successfully built inclusive practices and policies, led collaborative actions, and fostered diverse public engagement to improve their community.
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 public officials and community leaders who have designed and implemented efforts to build their communitiesu2019 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 the civic health of your own community and to 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 oneu2019s community and begin envisioning ways to strengthen it.
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.
