Teaching Civic Engagement through Literature

Abstract

Teaching civic engagement through literature can become a pedagogical tool that allows instructors to turn the literature classrooms into a model of a community devoted to participatory democracy and to change students change students change students change students from from from the apathetic disengaged and self the apathetic disengaged and self the apathetic disengaged and self the apathetic disengaged and self the apathetic disengaged and self the apathetic disengaged and self the apathetic disengaged and self -interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and interested persons to active, motivated and engaged citizens. engaged citizens. This paper explores different means for advancing a culture of civic engagement through teaching literature. It also elucidates how the activities of civic engagement pursued by students through the literary texts they study can produce civic capacities that nurture their growth