John Ahier – författare

It is not only the UK education system which has recently undergone a process of change, although it has certainly been one of the most dramatically affected. Free market conceptions have played their part in these changes, particularly throughout the European Union. This collection therefore focuses on the economic and social contexts for education both in the UK and internationally, and how these have had an impact on the education systems of different countries.The authors write from a wide range of standpoints, some supportive and some critical of the new paradigms, but all focus on the traditions which have been subjected to ideological attacks, and in the processes and outcomes of those attacks.

A central claim of this volume is that public policy in education and training can only be properly understood if it is seen in relation to prevailing economic and employment conditions. It has become increaslingly apparent that the neo-liberal economic policies pursued by Western governments during the 1980s and 1990s have led to a growing world-wide 'work crisis'. Unemployment levels, particularly in Europe, remain persistently high, and for those in employment, job insecurity and long working hours have become the norm. The response of UK governments has been to promote 'flexibility' in employment practices while proclaiming the importance of improving skill levels through education and training.This volume challenges the adequacy of such an approach, and asks whether reliance on education and training reforms without additional political intervention in economic processes is capable of reversing current trends.Issues covered in this reader include:* the impact of globalization on employment trends* neo-liberal and neo-Keynesian approaches to employment policy* political reforms in education and training institutions* the impact of flexibilization on private life and the family.The two volumes in this series are readers for the Open University course Education, Training and the Future of Work, E837, a module of the MA in Education. The companion volume is Education, Training and the Future of Work II: Developments in Vocational Education and Training.John Ahier is Lecturer in Education at the Open University. Geoff Esland is Director of the Centre for Sociology and Social Research at the Open University and Course team Chair of E837.

A central claim of this volume is that public policy in education and training can only be properly understood if it is seen in relation to prevailing economic and employment conditions. It has become increaslingly apparent that the neo-liberal economic policies pursued by Western governments during the 1980s and 1990s have led to a growing world-wide 'work crisis'. Unemployment levels, particularly in Europe, remain persistently high, and for those in employment, job insecurity and long working hours have become the norm. The response of UK governments has been to promote 'flexibility' in employment practices while proclaiming the importance of improving skill levels through education and training.This volume challenges the adequacy of such an approach, and asks whether reliance on education and training reforms without additional political intervention in economic processes is capable of reversing current trends.Issues covered in this reader include:* the impact of globalization on employment trends* neo-liberal and neo-Keynesian approaches to employment policy* political reforms in education and training institutions* the impact of flexibilization on private life and the family.The two volumes in this series are readers for the Open University course Education, Training and the Future of Work, E837, a module of the MA in Education. The companion volume is Education, Training and the Future of Work II: Developments in Vocational Education and Training.John Ahier is Lecturer in Education at the Open University. Geoff Esland is Director of the Centre for Sociology and Social Research at the Open University and Course team Chair of E837.

Following the introduction of student loans and tuition fees, the situation of students and new graduates has changed considerably. Set in this context, Graduate Citizens is a thought-provoking, and insightful look at the current generation of students' attitudes towards citizenship and matters of social and moral responsibility.Drawing on small-scale case studies of students in two universities, the authors explore students' changing sense of citizenship against the backdrop of recent changes in higher education. It addresses students' approaches to being in debt, the role of their families in providing support and their attitudes towards careers. Questioning the claim that the current generation of students is politically apathetic, this book shows that they are in fact socially concerned with, though distant from, official, mainstream politics. It investigates students' responses to such political and economic phenomena as globalisation and the ever-increasing promotion of market forces.Graduate Citizens illuminates and explores the links between reforms in higher education, student experience of university and issues of citizenship. It poses questions about the condition and future of citizenship in Britain and discusses the implications for citizenship education.

Following the introduction of student loans and tuition fees, the situation of students and new graduates has changed considerably. Set in this context, Graduate Citizens is a thought-provoking, and insightful look at the current generation of students' attitudes towards citizenship and matters of social and moral responsibility.Drawing on small-scale case studies of students in two universities, the authors explore students' changing sense of citizenship against the backdrop of recent changes in higher education. It addresses students' approaches to being in debt, the role of their families in providing support and their attitudes towards careers. Questioning the claim that the current generation of students is politically apathetic, this book shows that they are in fact socially concerned with, though distant from, official, mainstream politics. It investigates students' responses to such political and economic phenomena as globalisation and the ever-increasing promotion of market forces.Graduate Citizens illuminates and explores the links between reforms in higher education, student experience of university and issues of citizenship. It poses questions about the condition and future of citizenship in Britain and discusses the implications for citizenship education.

The sociology of education has been at the forefront of new developments in sociological theory. This book examines and criticizes a number of these new developments and discusses some empirical work on issues of current concern. One of the few books that integrates radical and critical sociology into the field of education, it deals with the resultant difficulties. The topics covered include cultural deprivation, ideologies in education, classrooms, the teaching profession and the history of women’s education.

The sociology of education has been at the forefront of new developments in sociological theory. This book examines and criticizes a number of these new developments and discusses some empirical work on issues of current concern. One of the few books that integrates radical and critical sociology into the field of education, it deals with the resultant difficulties. The topics covered include cultural deprivation, ideologies in education, classrooms, the teaching profession and the history of women’s education.

Unlike much material available at the time, The Social Subjects Within the Curriculum (originally published in 1995) stands back from the issues of implementing the National Curriculum. Instead, it poses key questions about the ability of such a centralised system to provide an integrated social and economic education for future citizens.Taking the cross-curricular themes as identified in the NCC curriculum guidance as starting points, the various contributors analyse and criticise the approaches suggested, and in some cases, suggest alternatives or additions. Some of the questions posed are: What is this new curriculum attempting to achieve in the social education of 5–13-year-olds? How does it compare with previous programmes? How does it relate to the economic and social developments in which young people live? This book will be a valuable resource for students and researchers of education.

First published in 1983, Contemporary Education Policy examines the British education system during a period of contraction due to severe financial pressure and a falling school population. It analyses how unemployment, demographic changes, and political upheaval transformed this already complex educational landscape and discusses the political, economic, and social effects of these changes. The study gains additional perspective through valuable comparison with youth programmes in West Germany.Overall, this book looks both forward and backwards: forward to a more policy-oriented and politically aware sociology of education, and backwards to the brief period when sociological approaches actively informed educational priorities. It remains a valuable resource for students and researchers of educational policy, the sociology of education and comparative studies.