Naz Rassool - Böcker

This volume is a collection of papers from the British Sociological Association conference, "Worlds of the Future". The central themes of the conference were ethnicity and nationalism in the contemporary world. Older discourses on national sovereignty and statehood are evaluated in terms of their validity within a world increasingly defined by transnational integration and global economic competition.

This volume is a collection of papers from the British Sociological Association conference, "Worlds of the Future". The central themes of the conference were ethnicity and nationalism in the contemporary world. Older discourses on national sovereignty and statehood are evaluated in terms of their validity within a world increasingly defined by transnational integration and global economic competition.

How have the school effectiveness and school improvement movements arrived where they are today? Over the past three decades there has been a great deal of development, from the 1960s when debates arose regarding equality of opportunity, to the 1980s when market concepts came into play. This book contrasts current thinking on educational standards with prevailing thought from prior decades, and tackles difficult questions of quality and educational outcomes. Anyone wishing to improve their understanding of school effectiveness will find this book interesting and highly informative.

How have the school effectiveness and school improvement movements arrived where they are today? Over the past three decades there has been a great deal of development, from the 1960s when debates arose regarding equality of opportunity, to the 1980s when market concepts came into play. This book contrasts current thinking on educational standards with prevailing thought from prior decades, and tackles difficult questions of quality and educational outcomes. Anyone wishing to improve their understanding of school effectiveness will find this book interesting and highly informative.

The book provides a critical overview of * the literacy debate in academic and general educational discourse, * the role of functional literacy in societal development programmes during the past two decades, * a critical evaluation of the issues that surround literacy in an increasingly computer-dominated world. Part 1 provides an evaluation of the theoretical frameworks that have framed discussions about what literacy is, and what its value is to individual and societal development. Part 2 locates literacy within the context of the pluralist nation-state and discusses the important position that literacy has occupied historically in theories of societal development. Charting changing definitions of text within computer-mediated textual environments, Part 3 examines prevailing definitions and views of literacy in terms of their adequacy in meeting the complex knowledge and literacy skills demanded in the information age. The book's consideration of a reconceptualization of power within the information society, and its emphasis on 'communicative competence' in relation to democratic citizenship are unique. It makes an important contribution to the study of sociolinguistics, the sociology of technology, curriculum studies, the sociology of education and cultural studies. Its central focus on development in different societies will make it a useful text in Development Studies and Comparative Education.

The question of why the issue of language features increasingly at the centre of debates about education for social and economic development at the beginning of the 21st Century is compelling. Within a rapidly changing world, language, literacy and communication are seen as constituting key elements in the process of lifelong learning. Contemporary technological development and cultural shifts intersect in complex ways with the legacy of colonialism and underdevelopment within developing countries with a colonial history. This book addresses some of these issues related to language and development. Part I explores the relationship between colonial and postcolonial social policies on the unresolved language problems that prevail in many developing countries. Part II comprises case studies of Mali, Pakistan and South Africa. Part III draws on key motifs identified in the previous two sections, and discusses linguistic diversity as an important variable of cultural capital within the interactive global cultural economy. The book’s focus on language, education and development makes it essential reading in Development Studies, International and Comparative Education, Sociology and Educational Policy Studies. Its focus on language issues within the global cultural economy would make it an important text in Applied Linguistic Studies.

The question of why the issue of language features increasingly at the centre of debates about education for social and economic development at the beginning of the 21st Century is compelling. Within a rapidly changing world, language, literacy and communication are seen as constituting key elements in the process of lifelong learning. Contemporary technological development and cultural shifts intersect in complex ways with the legacy of colonialism and underdevelopment within developing countries with a colonial history. This book addresses some of these issues related to language and development. Part I explores the relationship between colonial and postcolonial social policies on the unresolved language problems that prevail in many developing countries. Part II comprises case studies of Mali, Pakistan and South Africa. Part III draws on key motifs identified in the previous two sections, and discusses linguistic diversity as an important variable of cultural capital within the interactive global cultural economy. The book’s focus on language, education and development makes it essential reading in Development Studies, International and Comparative Education, Sociology and Educational Policy Studies. Its focus on language issues within the global cultural economy would make it an important text in Applied Linguistic Studies.