Search

Proposes a typology of reform within the public education system so that reforms can be characterized as conservative, liberal, or radical, depending on the degree to which they cause the traditional standards of public schools to change. The model is applied to educational reform in Chicago (Illinois) public schools. (SLD)

Maintains that political correctness as an issue is a hyperbole, and the attack on political correctness is merely the anticipated reaction to the expansion of dialogue to society's least visible populations. Discusses the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, and argues that the twin conceptions of personal liberty and community protection must always be combined. (SR)

Notes that the highly visible propaganda offensive mounted by the Right against political correctness uses tactics of boldly asserting falsehood and shamelessly exaggerating a small truth. Shows the falseness of such claims regarding standards for hiring faculty and admitting students, curriculum content, and restrictions on "hate speech." (SR)

Uses an ideological analysis of the subfield of doctor-patient communication to argue that scholarly efforts in the field of communication are proscribed by a "McCarthyism of the Left." Maintains that political ideology determines what is reality and that old concerns and commitments have been jettisoned to live in the new order. (SR)

Points out that (1) there is no reason to believe that media coverage of the "political correctness" issue is firmly anchored in social reality; (2) the news media's approach reflects and reinforces a longer-term shift in the ways journalists cover the university; and (3) if coverage of political correctness has been misinformed and unproductive, it can--with considerable effort--be changed. (SR)

Discusses political correctness and cultural studies, dealing with cultural studies and the left, the conservative assault on cultural studies, and political correctness in the university. Describes some of the underlying changes in the university, largely unaddressed in the political correctness debate, that provide the deep structure to the university's surface politics. (SR)

An overview of literature that purports to be an introduction to adult education sociology and contributes to the liberal-radical debate concludes that there is no distinct, developed sociology of adult education. Causes of the lack include the wide range of practices, curricula, and institutions and the gap between theorists and policymakers and practitioners. (SK)

The perspectives of four feminist discourses (liberal, radical, Marxist, and socialist) analyze the role of adult education curriculum in reinforcing gender relations. The transformation of gender relations requires a combination of radical strategies such as women-centered, women-only methodology and the theoretical framework of the Marxist/socialist discourse. (SK)

Describes a study of conservative and liberal journals that was conducted to determine whether academic libraries have been developing balanced collections in these areas. Issues of censorship and bias in collection development are discussed; and the influence of abstracting/indexing availability and journal age on selection are considered. (12 references) (LRW)

Considers the general meaning of equal educational opportunity and its meaning in the context of specific policies, with an eye toward providing a philosophically grounded examination of equal educational opportunity as it applies to multicultural education. Describes how progressive liberal educational theory can meet the challenges of multicultural education. (SLD)

Argues for the incorporation of classical liberal theory into undergraduate sociology theory courses. Urges that liberalism be contextualized in relationship to its intellectual predecessors. Suggests that understanding classical liberalism enhances understanding of Durkheim, Marx, and Weber. Recommends works that can be used as reading assignments. Includes sample questions to accompany the assignments. (DK)

Offers a philosophical critique of traditionalism, and considers how the educational agenda of its proponents should be assessed within the context of a liberal policy. Education befitting a liberal political morality and respect for children's rights limit the extent to which traditionalist moral education can be tolerated. (SLD)

The basic world views of liberals and conservatives (or politically correct and politically incorrect individuals) on college campuses are compared. Both groups are urged to identify goals and strategies for equity for which consensus is possible. Alternative models for campus order and openness are encouraged, as are more global, international, and inclusive curricular models. (DB)

This historical review examines conservative and liberal attitudes on U.S. campuses in terms of political, ethnic, racial, gender, and religious issues. Discussed are the era of protest (1960s), the era of quiescence and move toward conservatism (1970-84), reversing the trend via increasing faculty liberalism, and contemporary opinion (a preponderance of left-leaning academics). (DB)

Discusses negative aspects of multiculturalism in university curricula. The focus on women and minorities sometimes displaces the study of vital material. A greater danger to sound learning, however, is the dogmatic liberalism of today's campuses. (DM)

Reviews "The Moral Dimensions of Teaching" (J. I. Goodlad, R. Soder, and K. A. Sirotnik, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990), a collection of essays addressing the teaching vocation and the moral dimensions of the profession. These analyses ignore gender as a reason teachers do not have professional status and autonomy. (SLD)

Considers how the Bill of Rights originated and has evolved. Reviews the political views of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and the nature of their support for the Bill of Rights. Explains nineteenth-century classical liberalism and its revolutionary view that political power inhered in the individual rather than in property ownership. (CH)

Defines liberalism, conservatism, and social democracy in the context of the recent race and social policy debate among Black intellectuals. The social democratic ideology, suggested by the writings of William Wilson and Adolph Reed, Jr., focuses on analyzing the structure of the American economy rather than race and is seen to be the most promising. (DM)

Reviews James Fallows's "More Like Us: Making America Great Again," a book conceived while he resided in Japan. Fallows stresses the virtues of individualism and competition. He advocates workfare, education vouchers, and generous immigration levels. He pays little attention, however, to the institutions that nurture and temper individualism. (DM)

Canada's educational policy transformations stem from early 1970s' concerns about schooling costs and effectiveness. After a century of directing educational thought and practice, certain common-school philosophical and social conceptions have lost much of their public and political appeal. This article examines reasons for this change and implications for administrators. (37 references) (MLH)

Compares Robert Palmer's interpretation of the French Revolution with the Marxist and revisionist views. Stresses Palmer's theory that the French Revolution belongs to the same spiritual family as the American. Reports that Palmer saw the French Revolution as the climactic event in a series of similar upheavals that integrated liberal democracy into western civilization. (DK)

Examines the John F. Kennedy legend and his ability as an image maker. Characterizes Kennedy's presidency in terms of pragmatic idealism. Says Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson closed out the New and Fair Deal reforms but left no social or economic transformation. Claims Kennedy's disavowal of ideological rigidity ended the power of the Democratic National Committee. (NL)

Honoring the French Revolution's bicentennial, examines its legacy for modern France. Contends that 1789's imprint appears in France's centralized bureaucracy, strong political divisions (conservative-liberal-socialist), church-state separation, and tendency for government to argue ends justify means. Maintains the Revolution also spawned nationalism, militarism, and a steadfast belief in human rights. (CH)

Discusses the effect of liberalism on the African understanding of education, community, and religion. Describes ways in which the European intrusion, that is, colonial governments, schools, and churches, undermined traditional African life and thought. (DM)

Argues educational ideology is geographically and historically specific by comparing London and Tyneside activist teachers' views concerning antiracist ideology. Identifies contradictions within contemporary teaching practices and contends that dominant liberal-educationalism has co-opted antiracism. In contrast to predominantly White Tyneside, sees radical antiracism replacing multicultural education in London. (CH)

Argues that liberalism is strong enough to sustain a moral consensus if its logic and psychological bases are understood. Rejects ideological positions, emphasizing the value of rational discourse for reaching consensus. Encourages liberal educators to make clear their commitment to a liberalism that avoids both authoritarianism and paranoia. (CH)

Explains how the feminist critique of education encompasses gender attitudes, sexist language, and the power structure. Illustrates the approaches of liberal, radical, and socialist feminism through a description of the design of a philosophy syllabus. (SK)

Describes the emotion of nostalgia and the strategies and functions of nostalgic rhetorical appeals in order to analyze Edward Kennedy's major policy address during the 1980 Democratic national convention. Suggests that Kennedy used nostalgic appeals to serve therapeutic and deliberative functions. (KEH)

Maintains that, in order to understand the current debate over liberalism, a historical perspective on the subject is necessary. Traces the history of liberalism from its inception in the Reformation to the present conflict between neoclassical liberalism and welfare liberalism. Focuses on the major theorists of liberalism. (RW)

Although vouchers were popular among 1970s leftists, a political standoff has kept them unavailable to 99% of urban school children. This article debunks common arguments against vouchers and advocates a system that awards substantial voucher amounts (a 20% spending boost) to needy students, thus mollifying conservatives and progressives. (MLH)

Maintains there is a positive correlation between the study of ideologies and democracy, stressing that political theorists should teach political ideologies. Examines the current debate over the study of ideologies and the history of ideology. Suggests ways studying ideologies teaches students democratic values, and defines democratic thinking as participation, toleration, argumentation, and judgment. (RW)

An open letter after September 11, 2001, reflects on education's role in promoting tolerance and peace. Further discussion focuses on liberal versus neoliberal ideology; the expansion and democratization of public education in the 20th century, guided by liberal public policy concerning the state's responsibility for social welfare and the public good; and the current neoliberal climate of retrenchment and privatization, which threatens social progress achieved through education. (SV)

Study findings showed that an introductory sociology course had a significant liberalizing effect on students' attitudes regardless of the professor's theoretical perspective. It was also found that introductory sociology students involved in a similar study four years earlier were significantly more conservative than this group of students. (Author/RM)

Four sets of issues as they relate to the city of Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th centuries are examined: race and the liberal agenda, the role of academics in public policy, the organization of teachers, and the ambiguities of progressive policy. (RM)

Compares the Social Darwinism of the 1890s with neo-conservatism of the 1980s. Discusses the ideologies of fair play versus fair shares, the theory of supply-side economics, and the implications of neo-conservatism for higher education. Argues that neo-conservatism is altering radically our conceptions of democracy, equality, and freedom. (KH)

In contrast to traditional liberals, neoliberals share a commitment to greater economic risk-taking, support for entrepreneurism, a new industrial policy, and a different Federal Role. While New Deal and Great Society liberalism may have been more favorable to blacks, perhaps more balanced and equitable policies for blacks could be developed if neoliberals worked more closely with educators. (KH)