In this book Joel Spring explores three major international educational ideologies that are shaping global society: neo-liberal educational ideology, human rights education, and environmentalism.

Neo-liberal ideology reflects a rethinking of nationalist forms of education as the nation-state slowly erodes under the power of a growing global civil society. Traditional nationalist education attempts to mold loyal and patriotic citizens who are emotionally attached to symbols of the state, whereas the goal of neo-liberal educational ideology is to change nationalist education to serve the needs of the global economy. These changes are fueling a clash between the ideas of free-market and consumer-based neo-liberals and those of human rights and environmental educators.

Human rights education is concerned with creating activist global citizens. It is rooted in the idea that inherent in human rights doctrines is a collective responsibility to ensure the rights of all people.

Environmentalism is the most radical of the ideologies because it rejects the industrial and consumerist paradigm that has dominated most economic thought, including capitalism and communism.

Spring synthesizes and analyzes the effect of these educational ideologies on shaping the future of the global society. In the concluding section, he compares the effect of these ideologies on global society with the possibility of a world divided between conflicting civilizations. How Educational Ideologies Are Shaping Global Society: Intergovernmental Organizations, NGOs, and the Decline of the Nation-State features:

*a critical exploration of the transition of schooling from a function of the nation-state to a globalized economic and political system;

*a discussion of the major organizations and trading blocs shaping the future globalization of educational policies;

*an analysis of the major competing global ideologies of education--including national and corporate models that emphasize training workers for a competitive global free market; the worldwide network of human rights and peace educators who are teaching a global set of ethics; and the environmental movement's efforts to create a common set of educational standards for sustainable development and sustainable consumption; and

*an exploration of the possible future of global educational policy and school organizations.

By integrating a wide range of previously scattered information within a bold new framework for understanding educational ideologies and their impact on the global society, Spring raises important questions for researchers, professionals, and students in history and philosophy of education, educational policy, educational studies, comparative education, multicultural education, curriculum studies, critical media studies, global studies, human rights education, and related areas.

Reviews

"Joel Spring presents a stimulating scholarly reading on how ideologies are shaping educational development....Spring's absorbing exploration of various ideologies makes How Educational Ideologies are Shaping Global Society a compelling reading. It also compels the reader to re-examine some of the emerging theses on the impact of various ideologies on development of societies."
-Journal of Educational Planning and Administration

"...this provocative book could be valuable for students of political science, sociology of education, teacher education, citizenship studies, and environmental education."
-Journal of Latino and Education, Vol. 6, No. 1

"By focusing on the possible/probable decline of the nation-state, How Educational Ideologies Are Shaping Global Society assumes a futures perspective that is both carefully speculative and modestly utopian--refreshing in an era preoccupied with narrow national self interest and security more than in the possibilities for educational equity and human rights....Spring has a knack for providing an original perspective on both important historical, foundational and contemporary issues in education."
-Terrence G. Wiley, Arizona State University

"I have immense respect and admiration for Joel Spring's work and have found virtually everything he has written both insightful and important....One of the most interesting aspects of his work, in my opinion, is that it is consistently on the 'cutting edge' intellectually. This book is a wonderful case in point: It is timely, potentially very important, and addresses a number of key topics of great (and growing) significance for educators and others."
-Timothy Reagan, University of Connecticut

"The book is clear, passionate, and well written...I think this provocative book could be valuable for students of political science, sociology of education, teacher education, citizenship studies, and environmental education." --Yves Laberge, Department of Sociology, Pavillion Charles-De Koninck, Journal of Latinos and Education

Book Information
ISBN 9780805849165
Author Joel Spring
Format Paperback
Page Count 264
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 420g