ERIC Number: EJ1358444
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1361 7672
EISSN: EISSN-1469-9362
Why RE's Radical Reform Could Fail: The Politics of Epistemology and the Economics of Producer Capture
Chater, Mark
Journal of Beliefs & Values, v43 n3 p239-256 2022
This article, which is developed from a keynote given to the Humanists UK RE conference on 28 November 2020 draws attention to the interest groups that operate in and around the world of professional religious education (RE) in England. It argues that reform of RE could still fail. Two factors could spell its end. First is the "politics of epistemology," the embedded power structures that shape knowledge and curriculum in the subject. Second is the "economics of producer capture," which takes up critical questions about how the RE world is structured, organised, and funded, and how its stakeholders' interests operate. My definition and exploration of these two factors is followed by a description of how they apply in the RE community. I conclude by urging the RE professional community to face these issues and create new structures which more appropriately serve schools and children.
Descriptors: Religious Education, Educational Change, Foreign Countries, Conferences (Gatherings), Politics, Epistemology, Humanism, Teaching Methods, Economic Factors
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A