Synopses & Reviews
This current, comprehensive history of American education is designed to stimulate critical analysis and critical thinking by offering alternative interpretations of each historical period. The point of view taken by this text emphasizes 1) the role of multiculturalism and cultural domination in shaping U.S. schools, 2) the position of the school as one of many institutions that manage the distribution of ideas in society, 3) racism as a central issue in U.S. history and U.S. educational history, and 4) economic issues as an important factor in understanding the evolution of U.S. schools.
About the Author
Joel Spring, professor of education at the New School University, received his Ph.D. in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin. His father was born a citizen of the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory prior to the abolishment of the Choctaw government and the creation of Oklahoma. Professor Spring’s current interest in Native American culture and history is a reflection of his Indian background. His major research interests are the history of education, multicultural education, Native American culture, and the politics of education.Professor Spring is the author of many books including The Cultural Transformation of a Native American Family and Its Tribe 1763-1995: A Basket of Apples; Images of American Life: A History of Ideological Management in Schools, Movies, Radio, and Television; and Political Agendas for Education: From the Christian Coalition to the Green Party. For McGraw-Hill Professor Spring has authored American Education; Wheels in the Head: Educational Philosophies of Authority, Freedom, and Culture from Socrates to Human Rights; The Intersection of Cultures: Multicultural Education in the United States and the Global Economy; Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of the Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States, and Conflict of Interests: The Politics of American Education.
Table of Contents
1 Thinking Critically about History: Ideological Management, Culture Wars, and Consumerism 2 Religion and Authority in Colonial Education 3 Nationalism, Multiculturalism, and Moral Reform in the New Republic 4 The Ideology and Politics of the Common School 5 The Common School and the Threat of Cultural Pluralism 6 Organizing the American School: The Nineteenth-Century Schoolmarm 7 Multiculturalism and the Failure of the Common School Ideal 8 Growth of the Welfare Function of Schools: School Showers, Kindergarten, Playgrounds, Home Economics, Social Centers, and Cultural Conflict 9 The School and the Workplace: High School, Junior High School, and Vocational Guidance and Education 10 Meritocracy: The Experts Take Charge 11 The Politics of Knowledge: Teachers Unions, the American Legion, and the American Way 12 Schools, Media, and Popular Culture: Influencing the Minds of Children and Teenagers 13 Education and National Policy 14 The Great Civil Rights Movement and the New Culture Wars 15 Education in the Twenty-First Century