Nortey, Penelope and Eseonu, Temidayo and Freeth, Rebecca and Richards, Robert C. (2025) Building inclusive democratic engagement : Incorporating interracial-communication pedagogy into public-participation instruction. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 22 (4). pp. 861-874. ISSN 1550-5170
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Abstract
Building interracial communication pedagogy into instruction in public participation is essential for democratic learning in multiracial societies, since racial inequality—rooted in histories of colonialism, enslavement, and segregation—continues to structure democratic participation in postcolonial nations. After reviewing the literature on interracial-communication pedagogy in public-participation instruction, this paper sets out an original theoretical framework—consisting of consciousness raising; storytelling and reflection; the empowering, challenging, and protecting of learners; skill building; and utopianism—for analyzing interracial-communication teaching strategies in the context of public-participation trainings and courses. That framework is then applied in a comparison of interracial-communication instructional practices—and challenges implementing those practices—in South Africa, the UK, and the U.S. Results indicate that the theoretical framework is generally congruent with the observed teaching strategies. The results suggest the value of cross-national comparisons of interracial-communication pedagogical practices in the context of public-participation instruction. In addition, this study indicates that incorporating interracial-communication teaching strategies into trainings and courses in public participation can prepare students and community members for active participation in more inclusive democratic societies.