Cohort: POLS 40

Topic of the thesis: Where Democracy Lives: Reimagining Civic Education in Times of Democratic Erosion

Abstract: My research project aims to propose a new model of civic education in a context of democratic erosion. Drawing on existing debates surrounding civic education and civic virtues, this project seeks to address democratic erosion by recognising the central role of education in shaping citizens into democratic citizens, enabling institutions to function and ensuring democracy remains stable. It contends that liberal models might no longer be sufficient to sustain democratic societies. Indeed, the proposal moves towards a communitarian model, where citizens can cultivate specific dispositions, namely civic virtues, through education and everyday practices. Thus, civic education is reframed as a lifelong process that aims to foster “civic agency” within “civic spaces”. By conceptualising civic spaces as diverse arenas where citizens can participate and engage in dialogue and collective action, the project envisions a more communitarian approach to renew the idea of civic education and civic virtues. It argues that civic education should foster the kinds of civic virtues necessary for citizens to be equipped to engage in practices of civic agency―a form of action that unfolds within the public sphere where each citizen, in relation to their fellow citizens, has equal opportunities to participate in and influence the common space, having developed the virtues necessary to engage in such practices. In this way, democracy becomes a shared practice in everyday life. The model will be supported by a justification for its implementation, grounded both in a philosophical reflection in the light of the existing literature and in the findings of empirical studies conducted in the field of education and innovative learning methodologies.

Research interests: normative political theory, civic virtue, democracy and education.

Graduated from:  Università degli Studi di Milano (BA and MA)

Degrees obtained: BA in Social Sciences for Globalisation and MA in Political Science and Government

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