Beyond Critique: Exploring Critical Social Theories and Education
Beyond Critique by Bradley A. U. Levinson and his collaborators is a well-documented survey of critical social theories applied to education. It is a journey through theories as they aptly termed their work and it constitutes a valuable attempt to move beyond description, analysis, and critique, offering a new and informed contribution in the sociology of education. Beyond Critique is a very useful textbook for graduate and undergraduate courses in the field. --Dr. Carlos Alberto Torres, Professor of Social Sciences and Comparative Education, Social Sciences and Comparative Education (SSCE) Division Head, Director, Paulo Freire InstituteInnovative knowledge can emerge only from innovative processes of knowledge creation. Herein lies the key for the much needed renewal of critical social theory. This outstanding book bears witness to the new possibilities lying ahead. --Boaventura de Sousa Santos, University of Coimbra and University of Wisconsin-MadisonBeyond Critique draws clear connections between social theory and education. Levinson s engaging introduction is essential for showing how critical theories are closely linked to certain strands of liberalist thinking. Subsequent chapters focus on key authors and, like the introduction, are lucidly written for beginning and advanced students alike. This is an important resource for thinking about big ideas. Who said social theory was dull? --Amy Stambach, author of Faith in Schools: Religion, Education, and American Evangelicals in East Africa (Stanford UP 2010)