«Humanity» in the classroom: A condition for educating a democratic citizenship
Domenico Razzini
Considering democracy in the Deweyian sense, this paper examines the concept of humanity as an essential condition for democratic citizenship. Education is always a community matter and, even in citizenship education, the most crucial factor is the educator’s behaviour. Although civic responsibility remains essential, this study addresses civil liability and aims to highlight the importance of a teacher’s humanity, adopting an open-minded and open-hearted attitude toward students, and promoting social justice practises. Based on the etymology of the word «humanity», this article discusses several pedagogical implications through specific questions, namely: what does humanity mean for those who work in education? Can humanity be considered a fundamental requirement for democratic citizenship education? What is the best way to be human when working in the classroom?
Keywords
Education, citizenship, humanity, democracy, civilization.