After Postmodernism Education, Politics And Identity

This work presents a set of thematic essays aimed at clarifying the educational problems and paradoxes of postmodern educational conditions and theory. The major concerns of the book are the possibility of achieving substantive political objectives and of theorising such possiblities. These concerns arise from a dissatisfaction with the organisational and political conditions of postmodern educational practice.; The seeming inability of academics to intervene in the public sector, especially in matters of equality, provides a driving force to the book. For individuals who care about the future of education and its role in social reconstruction, the pessimistic nature of postmodern theories of society and education is an additional impetus for the book.; All the chapters exemplify the issues that confront lecturers in contemporary university teacher education contexts. A notable feature of the book is a theme that current theorisation about education and society are historically outmoded and that the future lies in "post" postmodern theories.

Part I Theory of Education: Liberalism, Postmodernism, Critical Theory and Politics Robert Young; Fading Post Structuralisms - Post-Ford, Post- Human, Post-Education? John Knight; Having a Postmodernist Turn or Postmodernist Angst Jane Kenaway; After Postmodernism - A New Age Social Theory in Education Philip Wexler. Part II Pedagogy: Getting our Hands Dirty - Provisional Politics in Postmodern Conditions Allan Luke; Foucault's Post Structuralism and Observational Education Research Jennifer Gore; Keeping an Untidy House - A Disjointed Paper about Academic Space, Work and Bodies Wendy Morgan and Erica William. Part III Identity: Stories In and Out of Class - Knowledge, Identity and Schooling Lindsay Fitzclarence, Bill Green and Chris Bigum; Corporatism, Self and Identity within Moral Orders Robert Funnell; Voicing the "Other", Speaking for the "Self" Parlo Singh. Part IV Politics: Educational Intellectuals and Corporate Politics James Ladwig; Academic Work Intensification - Beyond Postmodernism Richard Smith and Judyth Sachs; Epilogue - From the Inside Out Philip Wexler.