Política cultural e educação

Many are convinced that liberal solutions have failed and that answers to social problems lie in a return to conservative policies and values. As this conservative offensive grows increasingly powerful in education, public schooling itself has come under attack. Michael Apple offers a powerful analysis of current debates and a compelling indictment of rightist proposals for change. Apple presents the causes and effects of integrating schools into the corporate agenda and demonstrates who will be the winners and losers as the conservative restoration gains in strength. Far from defending the status quo, Apple argues that the unresponsive and bureau-cratic nature of many school systems has actually pushed people toward the right. Yet, he writes, during an era when...we face the massive dismantling of the gains that have been made in social welfare, in womens control of their bodies, in relations of race, gender, and sexuality, and in whose knowledge is taught in schools, it is equally important to make certain that these gains are defended. With this dual focus, this book provides an eloquent defense of the possibility of a more democratic public education. Michael Apple is among the most distinguished scholars in the world who are involved in the struggle to build a critical and democratic education. Paulo Freire In this timely and provocative book, Michael Apple once again throws light on some of the key issues confronting education...Apple draws upon contemporary social theory to show how education policy relates to broader societal processes and demonstrates the complex and contradictory nature of current developments in education.... This is a book that should be read by all educators who are committed to social justice. Geoff Whitty , Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, University of London Through the years, Michael Apple has provided us with one of the most compelling narratives we have about the public school in its relation to economic forces, prevailing ideologies, and what Kozol calls savage inequalities. Entering into the domain of cultural politics, he sharpens and further develops his insistence that we consider educational reform within a carefully wrought social context.... There is hope in this ne book, if we can muster the energy to transform. Maxine Greene , Teachers College, Columbia University Michael Apple has woven together a picture of politics and education.... To take seriously the cultural politics of education, he warns us, we must take all these elements into account. And he is right. This book is certainly a contribution to our understanding of the complex interactions between culture and power in education.... Apple, with a masterful command of the language, can portraywith elegance and rigorsuch a wide range of themes. Carlos Alberto Torres , Professor and Director of the Latin American Center, UCLA As the conservative restoration movement gains power in the educational arena, public schooling itself has come under attack. This book analyzes current educational debates and critiques the rightist proposals for change. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to cultural politics and education, and addresses hegemonic cultures. Chapter 2 examines the most significant proposals for educational "reform" that have come from the neoliberal and neoconservative alliance. The chapter's major focus is on proposals for a national curriculum and a program of national testing. It argues that one of the perverse effects of a national curriculum will be to legitimize inequality. Chapter 3 analyzes conservative ideological positions and how they threaten schools. However, the chapter also demonstrates how the bureaucratic structures and responses of schools sometimes actually create the conditions under which right-wing movements grow and thrive. It incorporates new-Gramscian, postmodern, and poststructural traditions. The fourth chapter examines the social construction of dropping out as a problem and situates it within the real economy. It presents students' accounts of their educational experiences and encounters with the realities of the free-market economy. Chapter 5 presents a conclusion to the work. An index is included. (Contains 145 references.) (LMI) Ch. 1. Education, Identity, And Cheap French Fries -- Ch. 2. The Politics Of Official Knowledge: Does A National Curriculum Make Sense? -- Ch. 3. Becoming Right: Education And The Formation Of Conservative Movements / Michael W. Apple And Anita Oliver -- Ch. 4. American Realities: Poverty, Economy, And Education / Michael W. Apple And Christopher Zenk -- Ch. 5. Conclusion: Taking The Fun Out Of Educational Reform. Michael W. Apple. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 137-144) And Index.