Social reconstructionism is an educational philosophy, most closely associated with education theorist George Counts and his 1932 address Dare the School Build a New Social Order?, holding that schools should not merely transmit existing culture or serve individual student interests but should actively equip students to identify social injustice and work to reconstruct society toward greater equality and democracy. It stands as one of the traditional foursome of American educational philosophies alongside this atlas's own Essentialism, Perennialism and Progressivism entries, sharpest in its insistence that education carries an explicit obligation to social change rather than neutrality.
Facts
Central QuestionShould schools merely transmit existing culture, or dare to build a new, more just social order 1 Most Effective ForEducators and teacher-preparation programs seeking to use schooling deliberately as an instrument of social and political change rather than as a neutral transmitter of existing culture 1 Connections
Associated With
Social Reconstructionism's own live entity-description: one of the traditional foursome of American educational philosophies alongside this atlas's own Essentialism, Perennialism and Progressivism entries.
Social Reconstructionism's own live entity-description: one of the traditional foursome of American educational philosophies alongside this atlas's own Essentialism, Perennialism and Progressivism entries.
Social Reconstructionism's own live entity-description: one of the traditional foursome of American educational philosophies alongside this atlas's own Essentialism, Perennialism and Progressivism entries.
Includes
Source George Counts (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. George S. Counts - Wikipedia
Dare the School Build a New Social Order? section, core proposal
In his address Counts proposed that teachers 'dare build a new social order' through a complex, but definitely possible, process.
Dare the School Build a New Social Order? section, responsibility statement
Counts insisted that responsible educators 'cannot evade the responsibility of participating actively in the task of reconstituting the democratic tradition and of thus working positively toward a new society.'
View the SourceGeorge Counts (Wikipedia)
Includes: George Counts, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: George Counts, Lead section
An early proponent of the progressive education movement of John Dewey, Counts became its leading critic affiliated with the school of Social reconstructionism in education.
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