Since 9/11, citizens of all nations have been searching for a democratic
public philosophy that provides practical and inspiring answers to the
problems of the twenty-first century. Drawing on the wisdom of past and
present pragmatist thinkers, Judith M. Green maps a contemporary form of
citizenship that emphasizes participation and cooperation and reclaims
the critical role of social movements and nongovernmental organizations.
Starting with empowering processes of storytelling, truth and
reconciliation, and collaborative vision-questing that allow individuals
to give voice and new meaning to their loss, anxiety, and hope, Green
frames cooperative inquiries to guide transformative actions. From this
"second strand" of the democratic experience, leaders and participating
citizens can help to shape a more desirable democratic future.
In dialogue with Richard Rorty, Judith Butler, James Baldwin, Martin
Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel, Viktor Frankl, Cornel West, and other
contemporary thinkers, Green defines the need for deeper understanding
and fulfillment of the potentials of the democratic ideal. Drawing
insights from Thomas Jefferson, Walt Whitman, William James, John Dewey,
Jane Adams, and other earlier thinkers, Green frames a pragmatist
understanding of emerging realities and possibilities, growing wells of
shared truths, multifaceted histories, and mutually transformative
experiences of citizenship. Employing examples from America's complex
history and from recent world events, Green locates four sites for
effective citizen activism: government at all levels, nonprofit
organizations, issue-focused campaigns and social movements, and daily
urban living. Green shows how citizens can revive social hope and deepen
the democratic experience by drawing on their own knowledge and
developing their capabilities through inclusive civic participation.
