De los Derechos Humanos: Reimagining Civics in Bilingual & Bicultural Settings. Issue 1 (2nd January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gibson, Melissa Leigh
• Is Part Of: Social studies. Volume 108:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 10
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2017-01-02
• Subjects: Civics -- bilingualism -- human rights -- social justice -- international education; History -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Histoire -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; 300.71
• DOI: 10.1080/00377996.2016.1237465
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0037-7996

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Dominant approaches to teaching social studies often marginalize bilingual and bicultural students. This is particularly troubling because the explicit goal of the social studies is to cultivate civic participation. Educational inequalities are thus tied to political inequalities. In light of this, this article shares a narrative case study of the author's own bilingual and bicultural approach to teaching middle school civics at a dual-language American school in Mexico. Through the illustration of a comparative civics curriculum that incorporates translanguaging practices, the author argues that embracing bilingualism and biculturalism in the social studies can lead to more expansive possibilities for justice-oriented civic education.