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How do people learn to think of themselves as political actors? How do they learn their rights as citizens, the ways in which their actions and voices matter in a democracy, as well as the limits of their impact on the state and society? Finally, how have citizens and non-citizens alike utilized, circumvented, and resisted existing social and political structures to become engaged agents of change in their communities and beyond?

This three-quarter program aims to use what we can learn from the past to inform current and future civic action. The first two quarters will focus on history and political theory of ancient Greece and Rome and 18th-20th century America. In the third quarter, students will be asked to translate this theory into practice by engaging in the praxis of citizenship through internships or individual research projects.

In the fall and winter, we will examine how citizenship has been created, defined, and acted out in everyday life using examples from ancient Greece and Rome, as well as 18th– 20th century U.S. history. First, we will gain a basic understanding of the relevant historical contexts, and learn how to interpret primary sources with scholarly rigor and circumspection. Next, selected historical sources will illustrate both creative and destructive examples of civic action and engagement. We will learn how citizens, non-citizens, and semi-citizens were legally distinguished in Athens, Sparta, Rome, and the United States. We will compare the ways in which the citizens of classical Athens and citizens in early America envisioned the ideal democratic community.

Next, we will explore the ways in which states from ancient Greece and Rome to the contemporary U.S.A. have worked both to instill a sense of civic responsibility among common people and to limit the potential for individual and collective political action. We will also learn how arguments about the history of democracy shaped who belonged and who was excluded as notions about U.S. citizenship changed. Finally, we will discover how marginalized groups, such as women, enslaved people, immigrants and itinerants, fought to find a place for themselves in these political frameworks, and how civic action has been able to shape policies and societies. In the fall and winter quarter, students will be expected to lead seminars, work individually and in small peer groups on projects, and write weekly essays.

In the spring quarter, an integral part of this program will be realized through an internship or research component that invites students to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical citizenship and community engagement. For this component students will collaborate with The Evergreen State College’s Center for Community Based Learning and Action (CCBLA) to organize individual or group outreach to the Olympia community on self-selected issues. To aid with this learning outcome, the CCBLA will be actively involved in training students on best practices in community engagement. Students will be asked to reflect on and implement their ideas about citizenship and a good society through projects of their choosing, spanning academic and/or advocacy work. Ultimately the program seeks to help students to shape a new understanding of themselves as actors in local, national, and global politics.

Quarters

Fall Open Winter Open Spring Open

Location and Schedule

Final Schedule and Room Assignment

• Fall

Campus Location

Olympia

Time Offered

Day