Education and the American Dream: Conservatives, Liberals and Radicals Debate the Future of Education

(Hardback)

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Conservatives, liberals, and radicals alike see education as a pivotal forum for the struggle over the fulfillment of American Dreams. Eleanor Smeal, Phyllis Schlafly, Russell Kirk, and Henry Giroux, among others, representing contrasting points of view, vie for acceptance of their theories on the major issues in American education: religion in public schools; computers in the classroom; sex education; the proper role of teachers (technician, professional, or intellectual); vocationalism versus critical education. This rare opportunity to examine the divisions, and the surprising overlaps, between the perspectives of this country's policy makers and idea formulators brings a major and important perspective to the current educational debate and the future of education, for scholars and students alike.

Reviews

Another volume in the Critical Studies in Education' series edited by Paulo Freire and Henry A. Geroux, this book of readings contains selected articles from a recent conference on the future directions of teacher education. The book is divided into seven parts with headings in the areas of race, gender/equity, pedagogy, equality, values, computers, and curriculum. The political spectrum is well represented, and there are essays from others besides educators. This mix adds to the educational debate by highlighting the problems and solutions from various perspectives. The solutions from both the right and the left reflect their political agendas. The essays, which are by well-known authors, are written with clarity, honesty, and authority. The nine-page bibliography is a good representation of the last eight to ten years of writings on educational reform. Although one may have heard it all before, the book does bring the several issues and perspectives together. The short section analysis by Geroux gives the reader a brief overview of each essay by summarizing the key concepts presented by the author, thus guiding the reader through the philosophical arguments presented. The book will make an excellent supplementary text for graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses in the social foundations of education.-Choice
Eleanor Smeal, Phyllis Schlafly, Russell Kirk, and Henry Giroux, among others, representing contrasting points of view, vie for acceptance of their theories on the major issues in American education. This rare opportunity to examine the divisions and the surprising overlaps between the perspectives of this country's policymakers brings a major and important perspective to the current educational debate and the future of education, for scholars and students alike.-Choice
"Eleanor Smeal, Phyllis Schlafly, Russell Kirk, and Henry Giroux, among others, representing contrasting points of view, vie for acceptance of their theories on the major issues in American education. This rare opportunity to examine the divisions and the surprising overlaps between the perspectives of this country's policymakers brings a major and important perspective to the current educational debate and the future of education, for scholars and students alike."-Choice
"Another volume in the Critical Studies in Education' series edited by Paulo Freire and Henry A. Geroux, this book of readings contains selected articles from a recent conference on the future directions of teacher education. The book is divided into seven parts with headings in the areas of race, gender/equity, pedagogy, equality, values, computers, and curriculum. The political spectrum is well represented, and there are essays from others besides educators. This mix adds to the educational debate by highlighting the problems and solutions from various perspectives. The solutions from both the right and the left reflect their political agendas. The essays, which are by well-known authors, are written with clarity, honesty, and authority. The nine-page bibliography is a good representation of the last eight to ten years of writings on educational reform. Although one may have heard it all before, the book does bring the several issues and perspectives together. The short section analysis by Geroux gives the reader a brief overview of each essay by summarizing the key concepts presented by the author, thus guiding the reader through the philosophical arguments presented. The book will make an excellent supplementary text for graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses in the social foundations of education."-Choice

Author Bio

HARVEY HOLTZ is Professor of Sociology/Anthropology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and co-organizer of the symposium American Dreams: The National Debate about the Future of Education.