What does it mean to be ''patriotic'' in the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001? And how have the prevailing notions of patriotism-loudly trumpeted in American media-affected education in American schools? In this wide-ranging and spirited book, renowned educational leaders, classroom practitioners, as well political activists answer these questions with insights, opinions, and hard facts. Contributors focus on critical issues related to patriotism and democracy in education including the social studies curriculum, military recruitment in schools, and student dissent. They investigate the ways our schools have changed since 9/11 and examine the efforts of educators who refuse to toe the new ''patriotic'' line. This timely volume provide a provocative yet grounded exploration of how schools are mediating national patriotic sentiments.
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''This important, timely book will be widely read, and should be.'' --Choice, March 2008, Vol. 45, No. 07
A fine and thoughtful collection of essays that probe the perhaps inevitable but nevertheless deeply problematic role of patriotism in a democratic society. --Frances Fox Piven, author of The War at Home and Challenging Authority
A must-read for educators, organizers, lawyers, youth, activists, and those who have politically fallen asleep in the 21st century. --Michelle Fine, Professor, City University of New York Graduate Center, and author of Echoes of Brown: Youth Documenting and Performing the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
A fine and thoughtful collection of essays that probe the perhaps inevitable but nevertheless deeply problematic role of patriotism in a democratic society. --Frances Fox Piven, author of The War at Home and Challenging Authority
A must-read for educators, organizers, lawyers, youth, activists, and those who have politically fallen asleep in the 21st century. --Michelle Fine, Professor, City University of New York Graduate Center, and author of Echoes of Brown: Youth Documenting and Performing the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
A fine and thoughtful collection of essays that probe the perhaps inevitable but nevertheless deeply problematic role of patriotism in a democratic society. --Frances Fox Piven, author of The War at Home and Challenging Authority
A must-read for educators, organizers, lawyers, youth, activists, and those who have politically fallen asleep in the 21st century. --Michelle Fine, Professor, City University of New York Graduate Center, and author of Echoes of Brown: Youth Documenting and Performing the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
A fine and thoughtful collection of essays that probe the perhaps inevitable but nevertheless deeply problematic role of patriotism in a democratic society. --Frances Fox Piven, author of The War at Home and Challenging Authority
A must-read for educators, organizers, lawyers, youth, activists, and those who have politically fallen asleep in the 21st century. --Michelle Fine, Professor, City University of New York Graduate Center, and author of Echoes of Brown: Youth Documenting and Performing the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
From the Publisher
"The essays in this book come at a critical moment and should be welcomed by anyone who is concerned that the values of peace, of democracy, be held high by the coming generation."
--From the Foreword by Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States
--From the Foreword by Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States
"A valuable sourcebook for those who are uncertain about what patriotism is and, even more, for those who are certain that they know."
--Howard Gardner, Harvard University, author of Five Minds for the Future
"By bringing together diverse and often divergent perspectives of patriotism, Pledging Allegiance opens to critical scrutiny the very idea of loyalty to a country. In doing so, it not only offers a useful educational resource but also performs a valuable political service. I can't think of many books more likely to stimulate deep reflection and spirited discussion, and these activities, after all, are integral to democracy itself."
--Alfie Kohn, author of What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated?
"A powerful and timely account of the struggles between authoritarian and democratic patriotism in the schools."
--David Tyack, Stanford University
"This volume is a must-read for educators, organizers, lawyers, youth, activists, and those who have politically fallen asleep in the 21st century. Joel Westheimer is to be congratulated for gathering such an incredible group of writers who dare to imagine what could be, in the ashes of what is."
--Michelle Fine, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
"Asks hard questions about what it means to ask the most of our country---and how we can teach this in our schools. Offers strong reflections and perspectives on the fundamental stories about our country that we tell our future citizens."
--Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen
"Joel Westheimer has brought together a fine and thoughtful collection of essays that probe the perhaps inevitable but nevertheless deeply problematic role of patriotism in a democratic society."
--Frances Fox Piven, Graduate School and University Center, CUNY
"Reading this splendid book will prevent you from ever taking the pledge of allegiance casually. The rituals and compulsions that bind us to national loyalties have seldom been better dissected."
--Andrew Ross, New York University
"Is patriotism compatible with democratic education or citizenship? Taking on civic educators' most enduring questions, Pledging Allegiance is a primer in how to enrich civic education for today's youth. What could be more patriotic?"
--Daniel Perlstein, University of California, Berkeley
"I want to use every page, every word to teach my classes. It's layered, profound, eye opening, filled with gems that confirm, shatter, and challenge what I believe. Every teacher in America should read this book."
--Terri Camajani, social studies teacher, George Washington High School, San Francisco
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2 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Rex Curry
Format:Paperback
Pledge of Allegiance issues are examined in this book about the flag and related topics. The book could use some updating with more historical information about the topic addressed. For example, the Pledge was the origin of the stiff-arm salute that was adopted later by the National Socialist German Workers Party. The early salute for the Pledge of Allegiance was the straight-arm salute. Francis Bellamy was the author of the Pledge (1892) and cousin to Edward Bellamy, author of an international bestseller that launched the nationalism movement. Edward's book was translated into every major language, including German. Francis and Edward were both self-proclaimed socialists in the Nationalism movement and they promoted military socialism. They wanted government to take over all schools and impose robotic chanting to flags. When the government granted their wish, government schools imposed segregation by law and taught racism as official policy. That behavior even outlasted German National Socialism. The Pledge's early right-arm salute was not an ancient Roman salute, and the 'ancient Roman salute' myth came from the Pledge. In addition to the notorious salute, American socialists (e.g. Edward Bellamy teamed with the Theosophical Society) also bear some blame for the notorious symbol usd by the National Socialist German Workers Party on its flag. While Edward and the Theosophical Society worked together, the same symbol was used by the Society. It was used as alphabetical symbolism for socialism, and adopted later by German socialists as their flag symbol. Although an ancient symbol, it was altered for use as overlapping S-letters for 'socialism.' It was deliberately turned 45 degrees counter clockwise and always oriented in the S-direction. Similar alphabetic symbolism is still visible as Volkswagen logos. People were persecuted for refusing to perform robotic chanting to the national flag at the same time in the USA and Germany (to the American flag, and to the German symbol flag). All of the above are modern discoveries (do a web search for "stop the pledge") by a different writer, America's leading authority on the Pledge of Allegiance (the author of "Pledge of Allegiance Secrets"). On the other hand, the author Joel Westheimer completely evades the topic of the Pledge's early gesture, and he seems to be unaware of the recent historical discoveries. It is hard to believe that he did not think about the topic, and one can only imagine that he decided to evade it, though it is unclear why.
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