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

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.