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Key Issues in Critical Peace Education Theory and Pedagogical Praxis: Implications for Social Justice and Citizenship Education

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The Palgrave International Handbook of Education for Citizenship and Social Justice

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the potential and necessary interconnections among peace education, social justice education and citizenship education, adopting a critical approach. The authors argue that critical peace education and its conceptual underpinnings have important common ground with social justice and critical citizenship education. To do so, Zembylas and Bekerman trace their own critical path, theorizing and researching peace education; a path which has directed them, first, to uncover the main foundational premises on which traditional work in peace education has evolved and, second, to re-conceptualize peace education based on a critical paradigm away from ‘fideistic’ perspectives, which appear to take for granted that it is important to believe in peace and peace education.

This chapter draws from and extends our article published in the Journal of Peace Education (2013) under the title ‘Peace education in the present: Dismantling and reconstructing some fundamental theoretical premises.’

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Open University of Cyprus, Latsia, Cyprus

    Michalinos Zembylas

  2. Hebrew University Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Zvi Bekerman

Authors
  1. Michalinos Zembylas
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  2. Zvi Bekerman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom

    Andrew Peterson

  2. Sch of Edu, Mawson Lakes Campus, University of South Australia, Magill, South Australia, Australia

    Robert Hattam

  3. Program of Educational Studies, Open University of Cyprus, Latsia, Cyprus

    Michalinos Zembylas

  4. Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    James Arthur

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Zembylas, M., Bekerman, Z. (2016). Key Issues in Critical Peace Education Theory and Pedagogical Praxis: Implications for Social Justice and Citizenship Education. In: Peterson, A., Hattam, R., Zembylas, M., Arthur, J. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Education for Citizenship and Social Justice. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51507-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51507-0_13

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-51506-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-51507-0

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