In this book, Giroux proposes a theory and practice of education that links schooling to the quest for a radical and concrete from of democracy. Drawing on European though – particularly critical social theory – and on the American reconstructionists of the 1930s, as well as on contemporary feminism and liberation theology, Giroux goes beyond the gloom and doom analyses offered by right and left. He calls instead for a language of hope and possibility that can help transformation both schooling and public life.
This book examines the relationship between democracy and schooling and argues that schools are one of the few spheres left where youth can learn the knowledge and skills necessary to become engaged, critical citizens. Not only is the legacy of democracy addressed through the work of John Dewey and others, but the democratic possibilities of schooling are analyzed through a range of issues extending from the politics of teacher authority to the importance of student voices.