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PROF PRESENTS PAPER, WRITES FOR CATHOLIC COMMENTARY |
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November 10, 2008
GROVE CITY, Pa. – Grove City College Professor of Political Science and Humanities Dr. Michael Coulter ’91 has presented research at a conference and written a chapter for a commentary on Catholic social doctrine.
This summer, Coulter presented a paper in Boston at the American Political Science Association’s annual meeting. Titled “The Legalization of Home Schooling,” Coulter “examined the changing legal and regulatory environment of home schooling from 1970 to the present as well as the possible causes of those legal changes.”
Coulter said the paper asked “what led to the change in the legal environment of homeschooling.” In 1970, homeschooling was essentially illegal and largely unheard of, only practiced by a few and without legal protection. By 1995, homeschooling was “essentially legal everywhere,” due in part to legal advocacy and the development of an advocacy coalition.
In Pennsylvania, for example, Coulter said there was a legal challenge to homeschooling due to certain legal requirements in Pennsylvania law. These regulations were struck down by a federal court in Pittsburgh after being challenged by the home school advocacy coalition for being too vague. The state then produced a law in 1988 that solidified the legality of home schooling. The law was influenced by lobbying efforts of home school advocates. Coulter said the paper might be the basis for a future book.
Coulter also recently wrote a chapter titled “Serving the Person through the Political Community” for “Catholic Social Thought: American Reflections on the Compendium” (Lexington Books) edited by D. Paul Sullins and Anthony Blasi, professors of sociology at the Catholic University of America and Tennessee State University, respectively.
The chapter was originally delivered as part of a panel discussion at the 2006 meeting of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists. Coulter revised the paper in early 2008 and the book was published in September.
Coulter joined the Grove City College faculty in 1995 and earned his master’s and Ph.D. at University of Dallas.
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