Using Constitutional Law Classes to Address the “Civic Empowerment Gap” Among Inner-City Public High School Students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9729580 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lynn A Addington (0000-0001-6323-4072, American University, Washington, DC, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 9 |
| Pages | 807-826 |
| Publication date | 2016-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education and Urban Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0013-1245 • E-ISSN: 1552-3535 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0013124516630597 |
| OpenAlex | W2352297978 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
Civic knowledge and participation are low among all students, but this pattern is even more pronounced for those who are poor, belong to a racial or ethnic minority group, or reside in a disadvantaged community. One remedy for this resulting “civic empowerment gap” is a call for teaching more effective civics classes in urban public schools. An open issue concerns identifying substantive topics to engage these students whose personal experiences may lead them to question the legitimacy of government officials. The present study examines a program that teaches constitutional law with an emphasis on civil liberties in urban public high schools. The findings obtained suggest that regular contact with school security and police increases students’ interest in learning about their rights and ways to empower themselves in these situations. These results may be used to identify course topics to promote civic engagement
Civic engagement · Civics · Civil liberties · Disadvantaged · Empowerment · Ethnic group · Government (linguistics · Legitimacy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Sociology · Education Discipline and Inequality · Judicial and Constitutional Studies · Law · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Public Administration
Maximum Security
Schools and Delinquency
No Citizen Left Behind
Imprisoning CommunitiesHow Mass Incarceration Makes Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Worse
Neighborhoods, Adults, and the Development of Civic Identity in Urban Youth
Picturing a Writing Process
Police Don't Like Black People”
Political Participation and Cumulative Disadvantage
American Education
Young Black Men and Urban Policing in the United States
Developing Citizens
Police Relations with Black and White Youths in Different Urban Neighborhoods
Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists
Cops and Cameras
Black Youth Activism and the Role of Critical Social Capital in Black Community Organizations
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |