William G. Tierney - Böcker

William G. Tierney offers a different way of thinking about the curriculum in post-secondary curriculum than is customary. Through an in-depth analysis of seven ethnographic case studies, the author demonstrates how the curriculum itself is a cultural product which institutions of higher education construct socially. The manner in which the individual institution defines its curriculum, Tierney argues, commits it to certain philosophical and ideological choices, whether these are overtly recognized or not. It is the result of a year's research that included over 250 interviews at seven colleges in universities throughout the U.S. The volume concludes with recommendations administrators and faculty may employ in the effort to advance democracy in their colleges and universities.Organized around the theme of institutional curricula acting as a critical agent for preparing students to participate in the democratic sphere, the book begins by providing a conceptual map for the chapters which follow. Both curricular and cultural theories are reviewed and discussed. The next two sections explore the archaeology of the curriculum at the seven institutions under study. After examining the ways in which participants at the seven colleges and universities view different curricular concepts, the author illustrates how the individuals view one another's actions about the curriculum. As he demonstrates, the curriculum often becomes contested terrain because of the cultural constructions different groups develop about one another and toward the curriculum. Finally, the author offers an interpretation and analysis of the different curricula of the seven institutions, concluding with a discussion of how organizational participants might assume the roles of transformative leaders who create new curricular paths and directions for their organizations.

This book is a unique invitation to rethink some of the most basic assumptions of higher education. The essays demonstrate that researchers have often concentrated on issues of effectiveness and efficiency in academe, rather than on issues of social justice and democracy. Participants in and organizations connected with higher education operate in ongoing patterns of struggle that embody competing conceptions of reality and what counts for knowledge. The essays in this volume make up a chorus of voices shaped by an interaction of dominant and subordinate forms of power. There is a focus on critical theory and the belief that education can be a transformative activity that creates conditions for empowerment.Within the framework of this book, a number of chapters deal with how those in power insert their ideas into academe. Other chapters uncover a politics of hope, and of possibility. The book is not a definitive statement but rather an initial comment to encourage discussion. Those studying curriculum and instruction, as well as all faculty, administrators, and researchers in higher education will find this book a comprehensive resource.

One of the few portraits of higher education from a postmodern queer analysis that is devoid of painful rhetoric and brutal theorizing. I plan to use it for a course I teach on gay and lesbian issues. A passionately argued and personally revealing postmodern analysis of academia and the queer presence. Rousing, enlightening, and lucid. --James T. Sears, Professor of Curriculum and Higher Education, University of South Carolina "William G. Tierney amply and ably probes the political charge of the specifics of an out gay researcher versus the unmarked person who does research on gay and/or lesbian topics." --Patti Lather, Professor of Education and Women's Studies, The Ohio State University "William G. Tierney is a practicing 'outlaw,' crisscrossing the horizon where cultural studies meets the academy. One of our premier critics of higher education, Tierney reveals how cultural distinctions shape our relation to key dimensions of everyday life: sexuality, ethnicity, gender, and social class. Academic Outlaws works at the intersections of cultural studies and queer theory by forcing us to reflect on how authors/readers reflect and interact with one another in the construction of a text. The book has a theoretical sophistication and elegance of style that is rare in academic writing. A thought-provoking work that is as courageous as it is provocative." --Peter McLaren, Professor of Education and Cultural Studies, UCLA "Academic Outlaws lays the foundation for those in higher education who are honestly interested in creating inclusive environments on our campuses. William G. Tierney's ability to translate theory into strategies for change eliminates the common excuses that scholars do not provide blueprints for transformation. The book is communicated with passion, commitment, and love. A model for all those who have not been full participants in higher education." --Mildred Garcia, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Montclair State University "Simultaneously autobiographical, fictional, and theoretical, this powerful and accessible exposition is essential reading for all interested in cultural studies and politics." --William F. Pinar, St. Bernard Parish Alumni Endowed Professor, Louisiana State University "William G. Tierney's juxtaposition of critical theory and structural analysis is the most coherent and systematic framework for cultural studies to date. A far-reaching intellectual accomplishment. The bitter, sweet, and loving persona stories inform both sophisticated theory development and superb tactical and strategic planning for faculty and administrators. No other contemporary work connects these epistemological and methodological arenas so deftly and so accessibly. The book sets a new standard for transdisciplinarity in the social sciences." --Yvonna S. Lincoln, Professor, Texas A&M "Every heterosexual person should read this book. It could be one small step in making for a more peaceful, happier world." --Clyde Hendrick, Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University and formerly Dean, Texas Tech University Graduate School "William G. Tierney provides a provocative contemporary look into queer scholarship and queer scholars. There is certainly a need for this book as many academic units are currently struggling with issues on the role of gay and lesbian scholars and scholarship in their respective disciplines. The book should definitely make a significant contribution to the field of gay and lesbian studies." --Larry D. Icard, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle Scholarly yet provocatively written, Academic Outlaws presents a comprehensive discussion of how life in academe is experienced by gay men and lesbian women. Using a narrative style that mixes autobiography, case study data, and fiction, author William G. Tierney provides timely insight into how homosexuals are treated in higher education and proposes an alternative process for redefining long-established cultural norms. He works at the intersection of "hot points" in intellectual, university life, exploring the theoretical and practical implications of cultural studies, queer theory, and critical theory among others. Drawing readers into a comfortable conversation about some of society's most difficult topics, this book demonstrates the need to reframe concepts such as oppression, difference, language, and culture as they affect the social culture of our learning institutions. Of broad and contemporary appeal, this book should be read by researchers, academics, students, and lay readers as well. Academic Outlaws will also appeal to those interested in knowledge production and how we might reconfigure the academy as we approach the 21st century. The policy-related implications will be stimulating to those who are concerned with issues of equity.

One of the few portraits of higher education from a postmodern queer analysis that is devoid of painful rhetoric and brutal theorizing. I plan to use it for a course I teach on gay and lesbian issues. A passionately argued and personally revealing postmodern analysis of academia and the queer presence. Rousing, enlightening, and lucid. --James T. Sears, Professor of Curriculum and Higher Education, University of South Carolina "William G. Tierney amply and ably probes the political charge of the specifics of an out gay researcher versus the unmarked person who does research on gay and/or lesbian topics." --Patti Lather, Professor of Education and Women's Studies, The Ohio State University "William G. Tierney is a practicing 'outlaw,' crisscrossing the horizon where cultural studies meets the academy. One of our premier critics of higher education, Tierney reveals how cultural distinctions shape our relation to key dimensions of everyday life: sexuality, ethnicity, gender, and social class. Academic Outlaws works at the intersections of cultural studies and queer theory by forcing us to reflect on how authors/readers reflect and interact with one another in the construction of a text. The book has a theoretical sophistication and elegance of style that is rare in academic writing. A thought-provoking work that is as courageous as it is provocative." --Peter McLaren, Professor of Education and Cultural Studies, UCLA "Academic Outlaws lays the foundation for those in higher education who are honestly interested in creating inclusive environments on our campuses. William G. Tierney's ability to translate theory into strategies for change eliminates the common excuses that scholars do not provide blueprints for transformation. The book is communicated with passion, commitment, and love. A model for all those who have not been full participants in higher education." --Mildred Garcia, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Montclair State University "Simultaneously autobiographical, fictional, and theoretical, this powerful and accessible exposition is essential reading for all interested in cultural studies and politics." --William F. Pinar, St. Bernard Parish Alumni Endowed Professor, Louisiana State University "William G. Tierney's juxtaposition of critical theory and structural analysis is the most coherent and systematic framework for cultural studies to date. A far-reaching intellectual accomplishment. The bitter, sweet, and loving persona stories inform both sophisticated theory development and superb tactical and strategic planning for faculty and administrators. No other contemporary work connects these epistemological and methodological arenas so deftly and so accessibly. The book sets a new standard for transdisciplinarity in the social sciences." --Yvonna S. Lincoln, Professor, Texas A&M "Every heterosexual person should read this book. It could be one small step in making for a more peaceful, happier world." --Clyde Hendrick, Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University and formerly Dean, Texas Tech University Graduate School "William G. Tierney provides a provocative contemporary look into queer scholarship and queer scholars. There is certainly a need for this book as many academic units are currently struggling with issues on the role of gay and lesbian scholars and scholarship in their respective disciplines. The book should definitely make a significant contribution to the field of gay and lesbian studies." --Larry D. Icard, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle Scholarly yet provocatively written, Academic Outlaws presents a comprehensive discussion of how life in academe is experienced by gay men and lesbian women. Using a narrative style that mixes autobiography, case study data, and fiction, author William G. Tierney provides timely insight into how homosexuals are treated in higher education and proposes an alternative process for redefining long-established cultural norms. He works at the intersection of "hot points" in intellectual, university life, exploring the theoretical and practical implications of cultural studies, queer theory, and critical theory among others. Drawing readers into a comfortable conversation about some of society's most difficult topics, this book demonstrates the need to reframe concepts such as oppression, difference, language, and culture as they affect the social culture of our learning institutions. Of broad and contemporary appeal, this book should be read by researchers, academics, students, and lay readers as well. Academic Outlaws will also appeal to those interested in knowledge production and how we might reconfigure the academy as we approach the 21st century. The policy-related implications will be stimulating to those who are concerned with issues of equity.

Articulates salient problems of tenure-track faculty, especially women and faculty of color. Offers a new paradigm to delineate ways in which the academic community can help socialize younger faculty, and honor differences more readily.Research on the organizational culture in higher education affirms that congruent cultures are better than fragmented ones, and that managing culture is an oxymoron. Such analyses often lead to the assumptions that unity of purpose is essential and leadership is impossible. This book reframes rather than suppresses these notions, and by respecting the differences, builds a commonality between them.Using data on faculty socialization in academe, the authors consider how the work of cultural leadership becomes interpretation and facilitation rather than management. Through a series of interviews using experimental forms of ethnographic presentation, Tierney and Bensimon articulate salient problems of tenure-track faculty, especially women and faculty of color, and address the issue of individuals voluntarily leaving the tenure-track. They offer a new paradigm to delineate ways in which the academic community can help socialize younger faculty, and honor differences more readily.

Focuses on authorial representations of contested reality in qualitative research.Focuses on authorial representations of contested reality in qualitative research.This book focuses on representations of contested realities in qualitative research. The authors examine two separate, but interrelated, issues: criticisms of how researchers use "voice," and suggestions about how to develop experimental voices that expand the range of narrative strategies.Changing relationships between researchers and respondents dictate alterations in textual representations—from the "view from nowhere" to the view from a particular location, and from the omniscient voice to the polyvocality of communities of individuals. Examples of new representations and textual experiments provide models for how some authors have struggled with voice in their texts, and in so doing, broaden who they and we mean by "us."

A full-bodied, robust discussion of issues of concern to faculty in schools of education.Schools of education are undergoing dramatic changes in what they are expected to do and what kinds of work faculty should do and how they should be rewarded. This book discusses changes that are currently taking place and considers what reforms are necessary, offering provocative analyses about issues such as tenure, the role of non-tenure faculty, and the overall mission of schools of education for the twenty-first century.Contributors include James Soto Antony, Melissa S. Anderson, James C. Hearn, Judith Glazer Raymo, Philo Hutcheson, Mary M. Kennedy, Arthur Levine, Yvonna S. Lincoln, Jeannie Oakes, John Rogers, Edward Taylor, William G. Tierney, and Sarah E. Turner.

Focuses on pre-college enrichment programs as a solution to the problem of minority and low-income student access to postsecondary education.At a time when college enrollment rates for low income and under-represented students are far below those of non-minority students, policies and practices designed to increase access should be a priority for colleges, universities, high schools, and community agencies. Increasing Access to College examines pre-college enrichment programs that offer a specific and immediate remedy.

Focuses on pre-college enrichment programs as a solution to the problem of minority and low-income student access to postsecondary education.At a time when college enrollment rates for low income and under-represented students are far below those of non-minority students, policies and practices designed to increase access should be a priority for colleges, universities, high schools, and community agencies. Increasing Access to College examines pre-college enrichment programs that offer a specific and immediate remedy.

Analyzes and defines the parameters of effective college outreach programs.The remarkable diversity in college preparation programs raises a compelling question: With a finite amount of time and resources, which activities are most likely to improve educational achievement for underrepresented youth in the United States? This book defines and analyzes the parameters of effective college outreach programs. Instead of looking at college preparation writ large, contributors focus on various program components, examining how elements such as academic preparation, culture, family, and mentoring operate within the context of preparation programs and how each contributes-or does not contribute-to program success. By engaging with individual program elements, the contributors provide a means for studying, evaluating, and improving them.

Analyzes and defines the parameters of effective college outreach programs.The remarkable diversity in college preparation programs raises a compelling question: With a finite amount of time and resources, which activities are most likely to improve educational achievement for underrepresented youth in the United States? This book defines and analyzes the parameters of effective college outreach programs. Instead of looking at college preparation writ large, contributors focus on various program components, examining how elements such as academic preparation, culture, family, and mentoring operate within the context of preparation programs and how each contributes-or does not contribute-to program success. By engaging with individual program elements, the contributors provide a means for studying, evaluating, and improving them.

Grapples with a variety of policy issues in order to provoke a discussion of the state of higher education in the 21st century.The public good is not merely an economic idea of goods and services, but a place where thoughtful debate and examination of the polis can occur. In differentiating the university from corporations and other private sector businesses, Governance and the Public Good provides a framework for discussing the trend toward politicized and privatized postsecondary institutions while acknowledging the parallel demands of accountability and autonomy placed on sites of higher learning.If one accepts the notion of higher education as a public good, does this affect how one thinks about the governance of America's colleges and universities? Contributors to this book explore the role of the contemporary university, its relationship to the public good beyond a simple obligation to educate for jobs, and the subsequent impact on how institutions of higher education are and should be governed.

Grapples with a variety of policy issues in order to provoke a discussion of the state of higher education in the 21st century.The public good is not merely an economic idea of goods and services, but a place where thoughtful debate and examination of the polis can occur. In differentiating the university from corporations and other private sector businesses, Governance and the Public Good provides a framework for discussing the trend toward politicized and privatized postsecondary institutions while acknowledging the parallel demands of accountability and autonomy placed on sites of higher learning.If one accepts the notion of higher education as a public good, does this affect how one thinks about the governance of America's colleges and universities? Contributors to this book explore the role of the contemporary university, its relationship to the public good beyond a simple obligation to educate for jobs, and the subsequent impact on how institutions of higher education are and should be governed.

In The Responsive University, William G. Tierney brings together a distinguished group of practitioners and scholars to describe how colleges and universities might respond effectively to changing social, demographic, and political forces. In each chapter, the contributors diagnose a specific problem and show how solutions can be found by reorienting basic work structures and designing nimbler, more creative organizations. Their goal is to encourage systemic change throughout the academy, and they propose far-reaching changes in such areas as management, marketing, and assessment. The Responsive University provides practical, real-world solutions for achieving high performance in colleges and universities.

Today, institutional leaders face numerous struggles: intervention from boards of trustees, alumni, and state legislators; decline in financial support from the states; and competition in an increasingly global marketplace. While it is agreed that effective governance structures allow institutions to respond creatively to these challenges, how best to allocate control in order to maximize institutional efficiency, preserve academic freedom, and ensure institutional identity remains unclear. Increasingly, administrators look to non-academic institutions for governance and management strategies. In Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance, William G. Tierney brings together faculty members, administrators, and policy experts to discuss differing views of academic governance at institutional, state, and international levels. Topics include the effects of globalization and the prospect of international accreditation; balancing the entrepreneurial and philosophical goals of higher education; the interaction between state governments and public universities; and the conflicting interests and roles of boards of trustees, administrators, and faculty.Carefully weighing various models and strategies, Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance provides new ways of understanding and addressing the changes that are transforming higher education.

As the economic value of education increases, as more students seek to complete college courses while forgoing the "undergraduate experience," and as funding for public higher education decreases, the for-profit higher education sector has exploded. In New Players, Different Game, William G. Tierney and Guilbert C. Hentschke compare for-profit and not-for-profit models of higher education to assess the strengths and weaknesses of both. For-profit institutions offer a fundamentally distinct type of postsecondary education. Some critics argue the institutions are so different they should not be accepted as an integral part of the American higher education system. Here, Tierney and Hentschke explore what traditional and nontraditional colleges and universities can learn from each other, comparing how they recruit students, employ faculty, and organize instructional programs. The authors suggest that, rather than continuing their standoff, the two sectors could mutually benefit from examining each other's culture, practices, and outcomes.

Today, institutional leaders face numerous struggles: intervention from boards of trustees, alumni, and state legislators; decline in financial support from the states; and competition in an increasingly global marketplace. While it is agreed that effective governance structures allow institutions to respond creatively to these challenges, how best to allocate control in order to maximize institutional efficiency, preserve academic freedom, and ensure institutional identity remains unclear. Increasingly, administrators look to non-academic institutions for governance and management strategies. In Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance, William G. Tierney brings together faculty members, administrators, and policy experts to discuss differing views of academic governance at institutional, state, and international levels. Topics include the effects of globalization and the prospect of international accreditation; balancing the entrepreneurial and philosophical goals of higher education; the interaction between state governments and public universities; and the conflicting interests and roles of boards of trustees, administrators, and faculty.Carefully weighing various models and strategies, Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance provides new ways of understanding and addressing the changes that are transforming higher education.

The 3rd volume of Contemporary Ethnographic Studies focuses on the Web of Leadership and Presidency in Higher Education.

The impetus for this book derives from the unusually high percentage of minority students generally, and Native American students specifically, who do not complete a collegiate degree. Of all ethnic groups in the U.S., Indian students experience the most difficulty in obtaining a degree. A host of strategies and policies have been implemented by well-meaning administrators to decrease attrition, yet these ideas have often failed to make any significant difference in whether Indian students graduate. This volume is the result of a two-year study of Native American undergraduate students. It offers suggestions based on longitudinal data for empowering Native American and minority students at the organizational, curricular and classroom levels. By employing a critical framework, the book extends our thinking about minorities in academia, and provides insight into the pitfalls that occur with liberal solutions for retention and recruitment strategies.

The impetus for this book derives from the unusually high percentage of minority students generally, and Native American students specifically, who do not complete a collegiate degree. Of all ethnic groups in the U.S., Indian students experience the most difficulty in obtaining a degree. A host of strategies and policies have been implemented by well-meaning administrators to decrease attrition, yet these ideas have often failed to make any significant difference in whether Indian students graduate. This volume is the result of a two-year study of Native American undergraduate students. It offers suggestions based on longitudinal data for empowering Native American and minority students at the organizational, curricular and classroom levels. By employing a critical framework, the book extends our thinking about minorities in academia, and provides insight into the pitfalls that occur with liberal solutions for retention and recruitment strategies.

Higher education is in a time of crisis--diminishing funds, rising costs, lack of student preparation for college work, low morale among students and faculty, strained relations between faculty and administration, and confusion about curriculum and educational goals. Tierney believes that the problems are moral. He suggests that by following principles used by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, institutions of higher learning can model themselves on communities of brotherly love and service to humanity. Tierney presents several case studies of postsecondary institutions and shows how academic structures give privilege to some ideas and constituencies, and silence others. He weds critical theory to postmodernism to derive a workable orientation toward multiculturalism on campus.Tierney's rare book embraces critical theory and honors postmodernism simultaneously. It is about academe but it is accessible by the layman. Through a series of ethnographic case studies of postsecondary institutions, the author uses critical postmodernism to offer a series of practical solutions to some of the most vexing problems of education. Tierney's goal is to orient college life toward multiculturalism.Tierney takes the essence of critical theory and distills the core ingredients of postmodernism. He makes them work together in order to identify the difficulties in perceiving and reacting to the inner and outer workings of the human psyche. Critical postmodernism addresses five axes of contention: boundaries versus border zones, individual constraints versus pluralist possibility, political versus apolitical, hope versus nihilism, and difference versus agape, or generalized love. Ethnographic studies follow the theory: Deep Springs College in the California desert, a school with 26 students and seven faculty; gay faculty in academe; a private liberal arts college with a student body of 2,000 and a faculty of 150 cast in the traditional mode of higher education; private college engaged in strategic planning in the Northeast; and the creation of the San Marcos campus of California State University. The study concludes with a discussion of cultural citizenship and educational democracy and endorses the methods of ethnography as essential to refining perception and suggesting ways of improving the college experience.

Higher education is in a time of crisis--diminishing funds, rising costs, lack of student preparation for college work, low morale among students and faculty, strained relations between faculty and administration, and confusion about curriculum and educational goals. Tierney believes that the problems are moral. He suggests that by following principles used by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, institutions of higher learning can model themselves on communities of brotherly love and service to humanity. Tierney presents several case studies of postsecondary institutions and shows how academic structures give privilege to some ideas and constituencies, and silence others. He weds critical theory to postmodernism to derive a workable orientation toward multiculturalism on campus.Tierney's rare book embraces critical theory and honors postmodernism simultaneously. It is about academe but it is accessible by the layman. Through a series of ethnographic case studies of postsecondary institutions, the author uses critical postmodernism to offer a series of practical solutions to some of the most vexing problems of education. Tierney's goal is to orient college life toward multiculturalism.Tierney takes the essence of critical theory and distills the core ingredients of postmodernism. He makes them work together in order to identify the difficulties in perceiving and reacting to the inner and outer workings of the human psyche. Critical postmodernism addresses five axes of contention: boundaries versus border zones, individual constraints versus pluralist possibility, political versus apolitical, hope versus nihilism, and difference versus agape, or generalized love. Ethnographic studies follow the theory: Deep Springs College in the California desert, a school with 26 students and seven faculty; gay faculty in academe; a private liberal arts college with a student body of 2,000 and a faculty of 150 cast in the traditional mode of higher education; private college engaged in strategic planning in the Northeast; and the creation of the San Marcos campus of California State University. The study concludes with a discussion of cultural citizenship and educational democracy and endorses the methods of ethnography as essential to refining perception and suggesting ways of improving the college experience.

Originally published in 1996 The Social Role of Higher Education is an anthology of nine papers, it presents cases studies showing how culture influences the social role of higher education in various nations. It examines how environments get defined and how they shape universities, and how knowledge and academic work interact in national contexts. This book focuses on how both developed and developing countries' systems of higher education are affected by their own culture and their place within the larger global context.

Originally published in 1996 The Social Role of Higher Education is an anthology of nine papers, it presents cases studies showing how culture influences the social role of higher education in various nations. It examines how environments get defined and how they shape universities, and how knowledge and academic work interact in national contexts. This book focuses on how both developed and developing countries' systems of higher education are affected by their own culture and their place within the larger global context.

The college application process-which entails multiple forms, essays, test scores, and deadlines-can be intimidating. For students without substantial school and family support, the complexity of this process can become a barrier to access. William G. Tierney, Tracy Fullerton, and their teams at the University of Southern California approach this challenge innovatively. Using the tools of online games and social media, they have developed ways to make applying for college much less intimidating. While the vast majority of college students use social media and gaming in their everyday lives, colleges and universities have been slow to recognize and harness the power of either. Postsecondary Play explores the significance of games and social media in higher education, and particularly how they can be used to attract, retain, educate, and socialize students. Tierney, a past president of the American Educational Research Association, has gathered some of the best research on the emerging role of games and social media in the classroom and how these tools can boost student confidence and increase college access.Scholars writing from a wide variety of disciplines-college access, social media, game studies, and learning sciences-provide concrete examples to illustrate the new and complex ways in which students learn in response to social media and games. Tierney and the contributors find that, although games can be powerful tools for encouraging underserved students, quality game design and mastering the concept of play-the ability to develop skills while engaging in the game-are essential in the effective use of serious games in teaching and learning. Summarizing a decade of research in game design and learning, Postsecondary Play will appeal to higher education scholars and students of learning, online gaming, education, and the media.

In Rethinking Education and Poverty, William G Tierney brings together scholars from around the world to examine the complex relationship between poverty and education in the twenty-first century. International in scope, this book assembles the best contemporary thinking about how education can mediate class and improve the lives of marginalized individuals. In remarkably nuanced ways, this volume examines education's role as both a possible factor in perpetuating-and a tool for alleviating-entrenched poverty. Education has long been seen as a way out of poverty. Some critics, however, argue that educational systems mask inequality and perpetuate cycles of poverty and wealth; others believe that the innate resilience or intellectual ability of impoverished students is what allows those individuals to succeed. Rethinking Education and Poverty grapples in turn with the ramifications of each possibility. Throughout these compelling, far-reaching, and provocative essays, the contributors seek to better understand how local efforts to reduce poverty through education interact-or fail to interact-with international assessment efforts.They take a broad historical view, examining social, economic, and educational polices from the post-World War II period to the end of the Cold War and beyond. Although there is no simple solution to inequality, this book makes clear that education offers numerous exciting possibilities for progress.