This review of Randall Everett Allsup's book, "Remixing the Classroom: Toward an Open Philosophy of Music Education" (Allsup 2016) deconstructs some of the characteristics of postmodernism found within the text, critiquing Allsup's use of anecdotes to set up the argument for an open philosophy of music education as an approach that…

In educational research, policies and practices, African American male youth are often portrayed as a monolithic demographic of uneducable, criminalized, deviant students. This column reviews the works of two African American male scholars, Tyrone D. Howard's (2014) "Black Male(d)" and David E. Kirkland's (2013) "A Search…

This article analyzes the 2002 Coretta Scott King Award book by Mildred Taylor entitled "The Land". The novel and its author are situated within a tradition of historical fiction written by and about African Americans. I then offer an analysis that utilizes Critical Race Theory as an interpretive tool for examining the ways Taylor embeds meanings…

This article presents a review of five chapters in "Part III, Section F: Inquiring into Curriculum" of "The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum and Instruction" (F. M. Connelly, M. F. He, J. I. Phillion, Eds.; Sage Publications, 2008). These chapters ["Part III: Curriculum in Theory. Introductory Essay" (William H. Schubert. pp. 391-398); "Curriculum…

Three books examine works of Paulo Freire and the concepts of critical pedagogy and emancipatory education as they relate to current world political situations: dominance of neoliberal politics on one hand and Brazil's election of a working-class president on the other. Freire's thinking can be a foundation for a new leftist "common…

This volume reflects the impact of postmodern critical thinking on models of human service practice. It demonstrates the values of practice informed by critical theory but does not present adequate empirical support for its effectiveness and Stringer's model is not illustrated through a case study. (SLD)

Kanpol's book "Towards a Theory and Practice of Teacher Cultural Politics: Continuing the Postmodern Debate" (Ablex, 1992) examines postmodernist thought in education. Redefining critical social theory and the notion of resistance in postmodernist terms, the author shows these ideas' relevance to common democratic struggles and resistance to the…

Reviews an ethnography of the life experiences in home, school, and community of 14 Mexican American immigrant children as they struggle with acculturation processes. Argues that the authors fail to achieve an "ethnography of empowerment" that puts theory into practice and improves the living conditions of its subjects, and that this notion is…

Examines the writings of Burbules and Young, two major educational theorists committed to promoting and understanding the practice of dialogue in educational contexts, focusing on Jurgen Habermas's theory of communicative action. Their works have shown the necessity for researchers to move across disciplinary boundaries and developing theories of…

This special book review section contains reviews of 18 books in adult and continuing education and development. Subjects include rural development, feminist discourse, group facilitation, Paulo Freire, professional development, social change, participatory action research, and the ecology of written language. (SK)

Three books represent the recent work of leading U.S. proponents of critical approaches to pedagogy: "Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Foundations of Education," by Peter McLaren; "Freire for the Classroom: A Sourcebook for Liberatory Teaching," edited by Ira Shor; and "Teachers as…

Pepi Leistyna's book "Presence of Mind" discusses how schools of education deter teachers from understanding the world's complex political, historical, social, and economic realities. Educators must develop what C. Wright Mills called the "sociological imagination." Developing critical consciousness and varied, multicultural…