The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance

Given the increasing power and prominence of political figures in the United States who openly espouse xenophobic, misogynistic, white nationalist positions it is only natural to anticipate encountering students who express these views in our libraries and classrooms. In this essay I use the methods...

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Main Author: Jonathan T. Cope
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Communications in Information Literacy 2017-01-01
Series:Communications in Information Literacy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/23221
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author Jonathan T. Cope
author_facet Jonathan T. Cope
author_sort Jonathan T. Cope
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description Given the increasing power and prominence of political figures in the United States who openly espouse xenophobic, misogynistic, white nationalist positions it is only natural to anticipate encountering students who express these views in our libraries and classrooms. In this essay I use the methods of normative political theory to explore the following question: What are a set of consistent philosophical positions that Critical Information Literacy (CIL) could take that would allow it to respond to intolerance in a way that furthers its stated goals? CIL can draw upon the large body of literature on civic education in the United States that emphasizes using educational institutions to teach foundational knowledge about the American political system and in cultivating a civic disposition that tolerates a multiplicity of perspectives. This essay then explores the role that agonism—to use a concept developed by the political theorist Chantal Mouffe—plays in political life.
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spelling doaj.art-843a884ac3d5401592f34175458a7cd72022-12-22T03:29:30ZengCommunications in Information LiteracyCommunications in Information Literacy1933-59542017-01-0111226428210.15760/comminfolit.2017.11.2.2The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student IntoleranceJonathan T. Cope0College of Staten Island, CUNYGiven the increasing power and prominence of political figures in the United States who openly espouse xenophobic, misogynistic, white nationalist positions it is only natural to anticipate encountering students who express these views in our libraries and classrooms. In this essay I use the methods of normative political theory to explore the following question: What are a set of consistent philosophical positions that Critical Information Literacy (CIL) could take that would allow it to respond to intolerance in a way that furthers its stated goals? CIL can draw upon the large body of literature on civic education in the United States that emphasizes using educational institutions to teach foundational knowledge about the American political system and in cultivating a civic disposition that tolerates a multiplicity of perspectives. This essay then explores the role that agonism—to use a concept developed by the political theorist Chantal Mouffe—plays in political life.http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/23221Critical Information LiteracyCivic EducationCivicsInformation LiteracyDemocratic Theory
spellingShingle Jonathan T. Cope
The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance
Communications in Information Literacy
Critical Information Literacy
Civic Education
Civics
Information Literacy
Democratic Theory
title The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance
title_full The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance
title_fullStr The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance
title_full_unstemmed The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance
title_short The Reconquista Student: Critical Information Literacy, Civics, and Confronting Student Intolerance
title_sort reconquista student critical information literacy civics and confronting student intolerance
topic Critical Information Literacy
Civic Education
Civics
Information Literacy
Democratic Theory
url http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/23221
work_keys_str_mv AT jonathantcope thereconquistastudentcriticalinformationliteracycivicsandconfrontingstudentintolerance
AT jonathantcope reconquistastudentcriticalinformationliteracycivicsandconfrontingstudentintolerance