Radical Schooling for Democracy proposes that formal education around the world has a serious philosophical weakness: as the ideology of neoliberalism increasingly dominates economic and as a consequence, educational and social life, formal education has adopted a narrow, rational and economic purpose for all students. Hooley argues that, under these circumstances, schooling is inherently frustrating and alienating for vast numbers of children as they are systematically removed from the big ideas and practices of history and knowledge of which they and their communities are a part and are instead inducted into a technical and superficial rationality of human existence.
Radical Schooling for Democracy begins with a progressive and contemporary overview of philosophical and sociological thought during the European Enlightenment and identifies a framework of understanding that is extremely weak in education. This action framework of integrated philosophy, sociology and epistemology generates an ‘action theory’ that not only accounts for human progress, but has the potential to radically change the nature of schooling. A number of theorists who generally support a ‘theory of action’ is considered, ranging from Aristotle, Marx, Dewey and Freire to Habermas. From this analysis, the curriculum, pedagogical, assessment and research constructs of schooling are detailed such that a coherent and integrated model of education as an attribute of being human can be articulated, rather than being seen as a disparate derivative from other disciplines.
With its coverage of internationally relevant issues, this book will be essential reading for academics, graduate students, policymakers and researchers in education, philosophy, sociology and epistemology, as well as teachers and pre-service teachers.
List of figures List of tables About the Author Preface Acknowledgements Dedication: John Dewey Poem Part 1. Thinking Philosophically 1. Trends and tensions of philosophy and sociology 2. Understandings of epistemology 3. Action theory and theorists 4. Creative democracy, ethics, power and control Part II. Thinking Educationally 1. Education as philosophy of practice Philosophy 1: Education as a knowledge discipline Philosophy 2. Religion, the sacred and profane Philosophy 3. Conservatism, what is or should be Philosophy 4. Neoliberalism, capitalism personified Philosophy 5. Social Democracy, in practice or in name Philosophy 6. Science, explanation or understanding Philosophy 7. Marxism, social class and social division Part III. Thinking Democratically 1. Social class, equity and socio-economic positions 2. Connecting with Indigenous education 3. Teacher education as experience 4.Radical schooling for all References Index
Neil Hooley is a Lecturer in the College of Education at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia.
Reviews for Radical Schooling for Democracy: Engaging Philosophy of Education for the Public Good
`Neil Hooley's new book offers a philosophical vision of radical schooling for democracy in terms of criticizing neoliberal and dehumanizing reform of education. It is an outstanding contribution to reconstruct the idea of public education through a comprehensive and fascinating approach to pragmatism and the public good.'- Masamichi Ueno, Professor of Education, Daito Bunka University, Japan
