Rethinking ethical-political education. Beyond the Nordic Model

Abstract

Abstract: Ethical-political education is an area of continuous disputes and conflicting beliefs, values and world-views related to its embedded complexity embracing social, cultural and not least political community and identity. In short, “education” is a name for those phenomena through which a community or society preserves and renews itself. The term “ethical-political education”, however, more explicitly relates to those aspects of education through which the communal and formative values and norms of a community, culture or society seem to be at stake. Discourses on ethical-political education, however, do not only mirror conflictual values and beliefs. They also carry the potential to shape, justify, uphold and direct shared images, values, norms and practices. So, taking the fact that communal beliefs, values and worldviews are at stake in an ever-changing globalized and multi-faceted world, a systematic re-thinking of the many faces of ethical political education seems today more urgent than ever. This chapter gives and overview of this book by introducing some overall perspectives on ethical-political education; a few of the hot topics of today; and the ways in which the authors of this book explore and discuss these topics.