Critical Pedagogy in Uncertain Times

CRITICAL PEDAGOGY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

A new book edited by Sheila Macrine

Critical Pedagogy in Uncertain Times: Hope and Possibilities
Palgrave Macmillan (Education, Politics and Public Life Series)
1st September 2009 publication date
ISBN: 978-0-230-61320-1; ISBN10: 0-230-61320-9

This exciting edited collection by Sheila Macrine includes:
A Foreword by Stanley Aronowitz
Introduction by Sheila Macrine
Chapters by: Sheila Macrine, Henry Giroux, Maxine Greene, Antonia Darder, Peter McLaren and Nathalia E. Jaramillo, Donaldo Macedo, Dave Hill, Kenneth J. Saltman, Noah De Lissovoy, and Ramin Farahmandpur
An Afterword by Gustavo Fischman

“The contributors in this volume simultaneously provide conceptually sophisticated and pragmatic tools to pursue the construction of pedagogies of freedom where commitment to justice and fairness is encouraged, where respecting different perspectives on sciences and arts is stimulated, where disagreement is not punished, where caring for the other and a desire to know is celebrated, and where a passion for democracy and creating fair and inclusive futures is welcomed.” Foreword by Gustavo Fischman, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Arizona State University

“At a time when the ruinous results of dominant neo-liberal policies are becoming increasingly clear, Critical Pedagogy in Uncertain Times offers the activist educator a cogent analysis of recent educational trends as well as useful suggestions for finding a way forward.”--Patricia H. Hinchey, Associate Professor of Education, Penn State University

“When education is increasingly reduced to test scores, this book reminds us what education can be for and how pedagogy can be practiced. The authors’ critique of the present system and description of what might be will strengthen the reader in working for a democratic society and schools.”--David Hursh, Associate Professor, University of Rochester

Dr. Sheila Macrine is an Associate Professor in the Curriculum and Teaching Department at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

Further details on the book (and ordering instructions) from Palgrave Macmillan:
http://us.macmillan.com/criticalpedagogyinuncertaintimes

From Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Pedagogy-Uncertain-Times-Possibilities/dp/0230613209/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248878834&sr=1-2

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
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Capitalism and the Recession

CAPITALISM AND THE RECESSION

A meeting organised by the Manchester Branch of the Socialist Party of Great Britain

Saturday, 12th September 2009
13.00-17.00
Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester

Speakers: Adam Buick and Paddy Shannon

For further details: 02076223811, spgb@worldsocialism.org + http://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2009/07/manchester-branch-day-school.html

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com

Engaging Peter McLaren and the New Marxism in Education

ENGAGING PETER McLAREN AND THE NEW MARXISM IN EDUCATION

David Geoffrey Smith
Interchange, Vol.40/1, pp.93-117 (2009)

David Geoffrey Smith has written a very interesting and useful article in the latest issue of Interchange. Not only does he review Peter McLaren’s Rage + Hope: Interviews with Peter McLaren on War, Imperialism, & Critical Pedagogy (Peter Lang Publishing, 2006), but he also explores the New Marxism in Education, or the New Marxist Educational Theory (as it is sometimes called). Thus, he examines the impact of McLaren’s work along with other writers on the New Marxism in Education: Paula Allman, Glenn Rikowski, Mike Cole and Dave Hill.

You can view the article at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/858j592687nt2554/fulltext.pdf

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Crisis

CRISIS

Marx, Individuals & Society Seminar

The next meeting will be Robin H on 'Crisis'.

It will be at:
Malet Street, London
7:30PM to 9:00PM
Room MAL 252
Thursday 16th July

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com

Centre for the Study of Work and Education - Update 6th July 2009

CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF WORK AND EDUCATION – UPDATE 6th JULY 2009

OUR MANDATE: The Centre for the Study of Education and Work (CSEW) brings together educators from university, union, and community settings to understand and enrich the often-undervalued informal and formal learning of working people.

We develop research and teaching programs at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (UofT) that strengthen feminist, anti-racist, labour movement, and working-class perspectives on learning and work.

To change your subscriptions settings, visit: http://listserv.oise.utoronto.ca/mailman/listinfo/csewbroadcast

For more information about CSEW, visit: http://www.csew.ca


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• NEW! FROM FERNWOOD PUBLISHING – FIGHT BACK: WORKPLACE JUSTICE FOR IMMIGRANTS
• REPORT – ENTRY-LEVEL AND NEXT-STEP JOBS IN THE LOW-SKILL JOB MARKET
• JULY 15 EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL – SETTING UP & RUNNING A CBPR DEPARTMENT IN A COMMUNITY AGENCY: THE ACCESS ALLIANCE EXPERIENCE
• ARTICLE – PRACTICALLY SPEAKING: IMPROVING THE FABRIC OF WORKPLACE LEARNING
• COMMEMORATIVE BOOK “A CENTURY OF CO-OPERATION” NOW AVAILABLE
• ARTICLE – LESSONS FROM THE HUMBLING OF GENERAL MOTORS
• A FAREWELL TO ATKINSON COLLEGE (TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009)
• ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

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NEW! FROM FERNWOOD PUBLISHING – FIGHT BACK: WORKPLACE JUSTICE FOR IMMIGRANTS
By Aziz Choudry, Jill Hanley, Steve Jordan, Eric Shragge & Martha Stiegman

Displacement of people, migration, immigration and the demand for labour are connected to the fundamental restructuring of capitalism and to the reduction of working-class power through legislation to free the market from “state interference.” The result is that a large number of immigrant and temporary foreign workers face relentless competition and little in the way of protection in the labour market. Globally and in Canada, immigrant workers are not passive in the face of these conditions: they survive and fight back. This book documents their struggles and analyzes those struggles within the context of neoliberal globalization and international and national labour markets. Fight Back grew out of collaboration between a group of university-affiliated researchers/activists and the Immigrant Workers Centre in Montreal. The book shares with us the experiences of immigrant workers in a variety of workplaces.

It is based on the belief that the best kind of research comes from people’s lived experiences and consequently tells it “how it really is”.

Available at your local independent bookstore or order online from
http://www.fernwoodpublishing.ca

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REPORT – ENTRY-LEVEL AND NEXT-STEP JOBS IN THE LOW-SKILL JOB MARKET

Low-skill jobs are not “no skill” jobs, and the labor market for non-college jobs—jobs that do not require a college degree— is vast and diverse. This brief uses data from the 2007 Survey of Employers in the Low-Skill Labor Market to explore differences between non-college jobs that have few if any requirements and those for which either a high school degree, prior experience, or previous skills training is extremely important.

The report aims to broaden and deepen our understanding of the diversity of this labor market.

To read more: http://www.urban.org/publications/411801.html

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JULY 15 EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL – SETTING UP & RUNNING A CBPR DEPARTMENT IN A COMMUNITY AGENCY: THE ACCESS ALLIANCE EXPERIENCE

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health is pleased to announce the second call in our 2009-2010 Educational Conference Call Series. In the midst of the numerous recovery act funding announcements from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we've been noticing a dramatic rise in inquiries to CCPH from community-based organizations that are either applying directly for research grants or as partners of academic institutions that are the lead applicants. We've decided to focus the call series on answering the most frequently asked questions, as part of the over-arching theme of "Building Community Capacity for Research." Each call includes speakers who provide answers and insights from their direct experience, helpful handouts, and links to relevant resources.

The audiofile, agenda, and handouts for the first call, which took place on June 3 and addressed the "how and why" of obtaining a federally negotiated indirect rate and federal wide assurance, are now posted on the CCPH website at:
http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/pastpresentations.html

The next call, scheduled for July 15 from 3:30 - 5 pm eastern time, addresses the question of what organizational systems and supports need to be in place to do community-based participatory research (CBPR) in a community agency setting. The call is titled "Setting Up & Running a CBPR Department in a Community Agency: The Access Alliance Experience.”

To register for the call, go to: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/ccphuw/78916.

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ARTICLE – PRACTICALLY SPEAKING: IMPROVING THE FABRIC OF WORKPLACE LEARNING

The rising dollar. An aging workforce. Competition from overseas. These are just a few of the challenges facing Canadian businesses. Increasingly, companies are investing in skills training as a way of gaining a much-needed edge—and Canada’s textile industry has been on the forefront of this shift, spending millions of dollars on an innovative—and inventive—workplace learning initiative.

To read more: http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Newsroom/PracticallySpeaking/20090616MWTextiles.htm?Language=EN

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COMMEMORATIVE BOOK “A CENTURY OF CO-OPERATION” NOW AVAILABLE

One of the highlights of the Canadian Co-operative Association's National Congress in Ottawa was the launch of A Century of Co-operation, a commemorative book by Canada's pre-eminent co-op historian, Ian MacPherson. The 234-page book chronicles the history of Canada's co-operative movement through text and images from the movement's beginnings to the present day.

The book can be ordered from CCA's website at: http://www.coopscanada.coop/en/about_cca/100th/Commemorative-book . Cost is $50 plus GST.

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ARTICLE – LESSONS FROM THE HUMBLING OF GENERAL MOTORS
By Sam Gindin

Of all 20th century industries, it was the auto sector that best captured the sway of capitalism and the rise of American dominance. The assembly line showed off capitalism’s remarkable productive potential and the automobile flaunted capitalism’s consumerist possibilities … In the growth years after the war, the proudest achievement of the UAW and then the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), even to the point of trading off workplace rights, was winning what was essentially a ‘private welfare state’ – a set of gains that brought workers not just wages, but the security of a range of benefits, of which health care and pensions were the most significant…

To read more: http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/bullet229.html

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A FAREWELL TO ATKINSON COLLEGE (TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009)
By James Laxer

A great experiment in part-time, adult education is coming to an end tomorrow.

Atkinson was on the cutting edge of the drive to democratize what had been a rather hide bound system in the past. Greater accessibility was the watchword of the time … From the very start Atkinson was about much more than upgrading professionals who needed a university degree. Without being fully conscious of what this implied at the outset, Atkinson was learning through experience how to educate people who combined work and study in their lives.

To read more: http://www.jameslaxer.com/2009/06/farewell-to-atkinson-college.html

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Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/glennrikowski
Wavering on Ether: http://blog.myspace.com/glennrikowski

Mike Cole on Marx and 'Capital'

Mike Cole on Marx and ‘Capital’

My friend Mike Cole has an excellent reflective review of Capital: Volume 1 by Karl Marx in this week’s Times Higher Education.

I was particularly struck with how Mike started the article with an autobiographical note on how he read Capital: Volume 1 under the tutelage of Tom Bottomore for his Masters degree, and then moved on to outlining some of Marx’s key ideas. As someone interested in Marxist educational theory, I also appreciated how Mike made clear the significance of labour power for Marx’s theory of exploitation in capitalist society. I have explored the role of education and training in the social production of labour power in capitalism for many years now*.

You can see Mike’s reflective review at:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=407196&c=2

* See, Online Publications by Glenn Rikowski, at: http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=pub&sub=Online%20Publications%20Glenn%20Rikowski

Professor Mike Cole is Director of the Centre for Education for Social Justice, Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln. He is author of Marxism and Educational Theory: Origins and Issues (2008) and Critical Race Theory and Education: A Marxist Response (2009).

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/glennrikowski

Michael Jackson: Shame on Society

MICHAEL JACKSON – SHAME ON SOCIETY

Ruth Rikowski’s reaction to the death of Michael Jackson on her blog ‘Serendipitous Moments’, see: http://ruthrikowskiim.blogspot.com/2009/06/michael-jacson-shame-on-society.html

Following the death of my father last February, the music of Michael Jackson has helped my youngest son, Gregory, to move beyond the aftermath and to move on to new projects. Michael Jackson’s music also helped Ruth too in this respect.

Greg and Ruth had tickets to see Michael at the O2. They are both shocked and saddened at the death of this great man.

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
The Ockress: http://www.theockress.com

Reading from the Left

READING FROM THE LEFT

NEW WEBSITE PROVIDES FREE DOWNLOADS OF CURRENT SOCIALIST BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS

Online Now: http://www.readingfromtheleft.com

READING FROM THE LEFT is a new website, created to promote and distribute contemporary socialist books and pamphlets.

It will feature free PDF downloads of pamphlets, reviews and announcements of socialist books, free PDF downloads of book chapters, and in some cases entire books.

This is a non-commercial project: the website links to places where titles can be purchased, but it does not sell pamphlets or books directly. The initial response from publishers has been excellent.

The site already includes free downloads from:

**Monthly Review Press

**Resistance Books (Australia)

**Resistance Books (UK)

**Socialist Voice

**Socialist Project

More titles are in preparation.

Please take a look -- http://www.readingfromtheleft.com

Comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com
MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/glennrikowski
The Ockress: http://www.theockress.com

Causes and Implications of the Economic Crisis

CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

The Hobgoblin: http://www.thehobgoblin.co.uk/

Public Meeting, July 8 in London:

Andrew Kliman on 'Causes and Implications of the Economic Crisis'

Wednesday 8 July, Lucas Arms (upstairs room), 245a Grays Inn Road St Pancras, London (Kings Cross tube) from 8 to 10 pm.

Andrew Kliman is author of 'Reclaiming Marx's Capital' and a member of the Marxist-Humanist Initiative (US). Meeting sponsored jointly by The Hobgoblin and The Commune.

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com
The Ockress: http://www.theockress.com

Confronting Capitalism's Economic Crisis

CONFRONTING CAPITALISM’S ECONOMIC CRISIS

Meeting & 4-part Seminar

All events at TRS, 44 East 32nd St., 11th floor, New York, NY, from 7 pm to 9 pm
Sponsored by Marxist-Humanist Initiative

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TUESDAY, JUNE 23: PUBLIC MEETING
"The economic crisis and left responses," a talk by Andrew Kliman, author of Reclaiming Marx's "Capital": A refutation of the myth of inconsistency
"A new organization for a time of crisis," a talk by Anne Jaclard, National Secretary, Marxist-Humanist InitiativeTalks followed by open discussion. Donation requested.

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SEMINAR SERIES

Tuesday June 30. Introduction: purpose of seminar series; overview of crisis theories; definition of "crisis"; history ofcapitalist crises; why crisis theory? Led by Josh Skolnik

Tuesday July 14. Underconsumptionism: does paying workers more boost profit? Led by Seth Weiss

Tuesday July 21. Marx's law of the tendential fall in the rate of profit. Led by Andrew Kliman

Tuesday July 28. The crisis of the free market and the turn to state-capitalist ideology. Led by Anne Jaclard

As the worst economic slump since the Great Depression calls into question the viability of the capitalist system, andas people increasingly doubt whether capitalism is desirable or even necessary, we need to unite theory with practice and an understanding of the current crisis in order to respond effectively. We invite everyone seriously interested in this task to join us in the seminar series. Participants will be expected to have done the readings prior to each session.

Donations are requested, but no one will be turned away because of inability to pay.

Please call us at (888) 579-2245 or write to us at mhi@marxisthumanistinitiative.org in order to register for the seminar series and obtain the syllabus.

Our website contains continuing analysis and discussion of the economic crisis: http://www.marxist-humanist-initiative.org/

You can find a printable flyer on the website, or link to it here: http://marxisthumanistinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/crisis_series.pdf

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
All that is Solid for Glenn Rikowski: http://rikowski.wordpress.com
MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/glennrikowski