# Education for Social Citizenship and Group Life in The New State

> Theme guide for The New State by Mary Parker Follett.

The book emphasizes that democracy and group consciousness must be learned from childhood through cooperative education, group recitations, and self-governing activities, replacing individual competition with training in interdependence and collective responsibility.

## Where it surfaces

- [V: The Group Process: The Collective Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/v-the-group-process-the-collective-will): Learning the process of creating the common will in groups is presented as essential for democratic citizenship.
- [VI: The Unity of the Social Process](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/vi-the-unity-of-the-social-process): Implied in the call for individuals to participate in evolving collective standards and to live the life that enables full interplay of ideas.
- [VII: The Individual](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/vii-the-individual): The chapter implies that understanding the true nature of individuality is essential for social and political progress, which is a foundation for education in group life.
- [VIII: Who Is the Free Man?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/viii-who-is-the-free-man): The chapter calls for training every child from the cradle in group consciousness to achieve spontaneous freedom.
- [IX: The New Individualism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/ix-the-new-individualism): Emphasizes the need to learn the method of real cooperation and to evolve collective thought and will through participation.
- [XI: The Self-and-Others Illusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xi-the-self-and-others-illusion): The chapter implies that people must learn to think in wholes, as seen in the critique of the Boston girl's education in altruism and the need for a new social ideal.
- [The Crowd Fallacy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xii-the-crowd-fallacy): The chapter calls for a new psychology that points the way to what we may become, moving from herd instinct to the group imperative.
- [The Group Principle at Work](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xiv-the-group-principle-at-work): The chapter highlights the shift in education from individual development to fitting the child into community life, through group classroom work, vocational training, and continuous education.
- [XX: The Growth of Democracy in America](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xx-the-growth-of-democracy-in-america): Implicitly present in the call for a 'living democracy of a united, responsible people' and the need to substitute fictitious democracy with a true understanding of the individual's social role.
- [XXI: After Direct Government—What?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxi-after-direct-government-what): Calls for a different system of education and opportunities for intermingling to develop an educated and responsible citizenship that can evolve common ideas.
- [An Integrated Neighborhood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxiii-an-integrated-neighborhood): The Community Centre movement provides training in democracy through group activities, classes, and self-government, preparing citizens for the new democracy.
- [Neighborhood Organization vs. Party Organization II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxv-neighborhood-organization-vs-party-organization-ii): Implied in the idea that neighborhood organization develops leaders who interpret and unify community needs, fostering democratic citizenship.
- [XXVI: Neighborhood Organization vs. Party Organization III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxvi-neighborhood-organization-vs-party-organization-iii): Emphasizes that through neighborhood groups, men and women learn they are politics functioning, transforming duty into joyful service and community realization.
- [XXVII: From Neighborhood to Nation: The Unifying State](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxvii-from-neighborhood-to-nation-the-unifying-state): The chapter emphasizes that participation in neighborhood groups teaches responsibility for the group and for the larger state, and that actual experience is necessary for solidarity.
- [The Moral State and Creative Citizenship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-moral-state-and-creative-citizenship): Emphasizes that good citizenship is learned through practice in neighborhood groups, and that the leader's role is to help individuals discover their abilities for community needs.
- [Appendix: The Training for the New Democracy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/appendix): The entire appendix focuses on training for democracy through group-based education from childhood through adulthood, emphasizing interdependence, social consciousness, and continuous learning.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/themes/education_for_social_citizenship
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/themes