Excursions in Criticality: Education, Cultural Studies and Politics – serie

Science, Democracy, and the University is a significant contribution to the field of curriculum studies, linking to the work of philosophers such as Max Planck, Donna Haraway, Max Weber, and Jacques Derrida to make the case for rethinking the reason of the university. John A. Weaver outlines what a Diogenes, or real, university might look like and what values it might promote over that which the current university system peddles. He also uses Bernard Stiegler’s work to focus on how we can educate the young to become adults rather than consumers. Touching on subjects such as ecology, algorithms and data, and ethology, Science, Democracy, and the University champions the need for self-reflexivity and to challenge methodocentrism in science. The book features fascinating insights into how we can foster a vibrant future for the young through our academic institutions.

Science, Democracy, and the University is a significant contribution to the field of curriculum studies, linking to the work of philosophers such as Max Planck, Donna Haraway, Max Weber, and Jacques Derrida to make the case for rethinking the reason of the university. John A. Weaver outlines what a Diogenes, or real, university might look like and what values it might promote over that which the current university system peddles. He also uses Bernard Stiegler’s work to focus on how we can educate the young to become adults rather than consumers. Touching on subjects such as ecology, algorithms and data, and ethology, Science, Democracy, and the University champions the need for self-reflexivity and to challenge methodocentrism in science. The book features fascinating insights into how we can foster a vibrant future for the young through our academic institutions.

Learning, Identity, and Difference: Mary Darmanin’s Inspiration brings together important contributions to the large area of Sociology of Education and around themes of social and ecological difference. It also foregrounds identity issues in an intersectional manner, covering social class, gender (including sexual orientation and women’s studies), race/ethnicity, and the politics of enablement. Featuring chapters on topics such as promoting gender equality, challenging classist discourse through critical pedagogies, and transforming education through neuroscience, as well as a contribution by Mary Darmanin herself, this important volume champions and highlights the importance of approaching identity issues in a sensitive way that supports and nurtures students in their learning.

Learning, Identity, and Difference: Mary Darmanin’s Inspiration brings together important contributions to the large area of Sociology of Education and around themes of social and ecological difference. It also foregrounds identity issues in an intersectional manner, covering social class, gender (including sexual orientation and women’s studies), race/ethnicity, and the politics of enablement. Featuring chapters on topics such as promoting gender equality, challenging classist discourse through critical pedagogies, and transforming education through neuroscience, as well as a contribution by Mary Darmanin herself, this important volume champions and highlights the importance of approaching identity issues in a sensitive way that supports and nurtures students in their learning.

Playology: A Media-Critical Exploration of Digital Technologies and Identity in the Global Village offers a sharp, timely exploration of how digital technologies and global media reshape the ways we think, communicate, and understand ourselves. As multinational corporations like Google increasingly mediate our access to information, identity, and civic life, this book examines the profound consequences of living in what it calls the “Googleburg Galaxy.”Blending cultural critique with accessible theory, the book traces how our practices of reading, writing, and meaning making have been transformed by digital systems that both empower and constrain. It argues that play—reimagined as a form of critical media literacy—is essential for navigating these complexities. Through play, individuals can question dominant narratives, expose hidden power structures, and reclaim agency over their digital lives.By unpacking the ideologies embedded in contemporary media and the subtle ways they shape citizenship, knowledge, and authenticity, Playology: A Media-Critical Exploration of Digital Technologies and Identity in the Global Village invites readers to engage more consciously with the technologies that define modern existence. It is a call to resist passive consumption, embrace creative inquiry, and cultivate the critical literacies necessary for a more open, pluralistic, and humane digital future.