A New Era of Civic Engagement? The History and Future of Pragmatic Higher Education in the United States

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Amy Hart
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2542-4075

Abstract

This essay examines the history and potential future trajectory of civic engagement in higher education in the United States, analysing this pedagogical approach through the lens of the philosophical theory and tradition of pragmatism. Through a brief history and analysis of pragmatism, this article posits that this philosophical approach offers tools for responding to the current crisis of declining public trust in higher education in the United States. Aimed at higher education leaders and scholars who seek a stronger theoretical vocabulary for institutional change, this essay advocates for adopting the pragmatist model as the framework for recentring civic engagement as a core mission of higher education institutions.

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Research articles (Refereed)