Schooling, Society, and Religion
Events at Brandeis feature Robert Kunzman (Indiana University), philosopher of education, teacher educator, & high school teacher
In two public events on March 5th, 2007, and at a breakfast for undergraduate philosophy of education students, Robert Kunzman, Assistant Professor of Education at Indiana University at Bloomington, and author, most recently, of Grappling with the Good: Talking About Religion and Morality in Public Schools (2006; SUNY Press), explored questions that lie at the intersection of schooling, society, and religion.
Children, parents, and the state all have significant interests at stake in the education of American youth, and Kunzman argues that this triad bears particularly close examination when considering the ethical, curricular, legal, and civic dimensions of homeschooling. In recent years, homeschooling has expanded dramatically, especially among conservative Christian families. In a session of the Philosophy of Education Research Colloquia (PERC) titled "Schooling at Home, Schooling for Society: Homeschooling and American Democracy," Kunzman addressed important questions raised by this phenomenon, both about the development of personal autonomy and about the inculcation of civic virtues. Can state regulations help ensure these outcomes? Should they?
Robert Kunzman presents to students and faculty at Brandeis University's Shapiro Campus Center. Photo: Angela Viehland
Later in the day, Kunzman was presenter for "Discussing Religion in the Public Schools," with respondent Dirck Roosevelt and moderator Jon A. Levisohn. Brandeis undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty gathered to discuss if public schools play a role in helping citizens learn to talk respectfully across deep ethical disagreement in the public square -- and should they?
Robert Kunzman holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University. In addition to his book Grappling with the Good, he has published in Theory and Research in Social Education, Religious Education, Educational Leadership, and the Journal of Philosophy of Education. His research on homeschooling has been supported by a Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. He is also the recipient of a Proffitt Endowment Grant and was a fellow at the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions in 2004-2005.
Kunzman's visit was presented by the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, with cosponsorship by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life; the Brandeis Education Program; the Spencer Program for Educational Research, the Department of Politics; and the Research Circle on Democracy and Cultural Pluralism.
The Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education was founded in 2002 as a partnership between Brandeis University and the Mandel Foundation. The first academic center of its kind, the Mandel Center is dedicated to transforming the quality of teaching and learning in Jewish education settings by supporting innovative research initiatives and pioneering new approaches to developing Jewish educators. Learn more at www.brandeis.edu/mandel.