Philosophical Perspectives on Social Cohesion: New Directions for Educational Policy [Paperback]

What would the civic relationship between citizens in a socially cohesive society look like? What models might we use to educate young people to support developing these bonds? Do these different models have different implications for how we structure the bonds that support a civic relationship?

Philosophical Perspectives on Social Cohesionchallenges the basis of how we characterize civic bonds and how we best organize schools to encourage and develop them. Mary Healy argues that metaphors and social imaginaries often give a framework for considering our interrelatedness. She re-examines the metaphor of fraternity, used as a precursor to elements of the 'Big Society', arguing that such attempts to align fraternity with liberty are mistaken and that equality plays a vital role. At a time of increasing diversity of school provision, this pertinent book indicates the connection between how we organize school structures and the models of citizenship we value.

What does 'social cohesion' really mean in Western liberal democracies and, more importantly, what should it ideally mean? If we identify the answer to that question, we next need to ask what sort of school structures and educational interventions are required to actualise this ideal. Mary Healy's rich and fascinating study not only sheds new conceptual light on the notion of civic relationships and its dense metaphorical layers, it also offers sensible practical advice to educators and policy-makers on how education for social cohesion can be made into a tangible goal for schooling. Kristj?n Kristj?nsson, Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics, University of Birmingham, UK

Written with clarity and commitment, this is not only a timely book, it is also one of enduring significance. In increasingly fragmented and fragmenting times it reminds us of the foundational importance of alÃ\