Customer Reviews:
The Marxist speaks out ?.......2005-12-20
In his last book, Andrew (Andy) Hargreaves takes us through the dark alley of modern education. At the end of the alley, shines his promised land of Marxism. Hargreaves political views are cleverly disguised, but still obvious. He never speaks of a Marxist society, but instead uses jargons such as "beyond the knowledge society", "social mission" and "cosmopolitan identity".
The kowledge society and related terms, such as knowledge worker and knowledge economy, were created by Peter F. Drucker and appeared in his 1969 book "The Age of Discontinuity". In his 1999 book "Management Challenges for the 21st Century", Drucker has following to say:
"Knowledge workers are rapidly becoming the largest single group in workforce of every developed country. They may already comprise two-fifths of the U.S. workforce - and a still smaller but rapidly growing proportion of the workforce of all other developed countries. It is on their productivity, above all, that the future prosperity and indeed the future survival of the developed economies will increasingly depend." (page.141).
Drucker is absolutely right, that the knowledge society aready exists, but Hargreaves eyes are focused on the society beyond, which in his opinion clearly belongs to the Marxist ideology. Following quotations make this abuntantly clear:
"Teaching beyond the knowledge society means developing a cosmopolitan identity that can build chains of caring for those who are out of sight but should never be out of mind." (page.48).
"Teaching exclusively beyond the knowledge society cultivates caring, develops character and builds cosmopolitan identity." (page.52).
"We have seen that standardized educational reform has made it almost impossible for many teachers to teach either for the knowledge society or beyond it as part of a broader social mission." (page.162).
What is the social mission of the teaching profession ? Hargreaves emphasizes this aspect of teaching:
"Teachers and others must now dedicate themselves to bringing together these two missions of teaching for the knowledge society and beyond it - making it the pinnacle of their professional purpose." (page.52).
"The standardized reforms of Ontario education offer only disincentives and discouragement to those who see their work as being about teaching beyond the knowledge economy and about creating values for good. They are squeezing the social mission out of teaching." (page.96).
As previously noted, one of the expressions that Hargreaves uses instead of Marxism is "cosmopolitan identity". In true Marxistic fashion, he keeps on striking the hot iron:
"This is what teaching beyond the knowledge society must address: developing cosmopolitan identity and humanitarian responsibility at home as well as abroad." (page.35).
"Teachers and others, therefore, must think not only of how to teach for the knowledge society, but also of how to teach beyond it, so we address other compelling human values and educational purposes in addition to those that make a profit - purposes concerned with character, community, democracy and cosmopolitan identity." (page.43).
It is disturbing, that Hargreaves goes so far out on the Marxist limb, that his book is more of a political declaration, than an analysis of education. I believe that John Locke (1632-1704), Auguste Comte (1798-1857) and John Dewey (1859-1952) would have agreed with me.
The best Andy Hargreaves yet!.......2003-06-08
Andy Hargreaves's new book is a best seller.
I am always impressed by that uncommon trait of commonsense in Hargreaves's writing. In the 1990s writing on learning organisations was very topical. However at the turn of the century learning communities and learning societies took precedence.
Pearls of wisdom abound throughout the book:
In the Introduction Hargreaves draws the links between living in a knowledge economy and a knowledge society.
The knowledge economy primarily serves the private good. The knowledge society also encompasses the public good. Our school have to prepare young people for both of them (Hargreaves, 2003, p.1)
Hargreaves also points out that the term "knowledge society" is a misnomer and argues that a more appropriate term is learning society (Hargreaves, 2003, p.3).
Hargreaves describes teaching as a paradoxical profession where teachers are expected to help create a knowledge society and at the same time right the wrongs that pervade modern western communities. In a very quotable section Hargreaves discusses the different approaches of his dentist and teachers towards professional development.
In dealing with insecurity and Hargreaves notes that loyalty between the worker and the company has been replaced with contracts.
Hargreaves's warning that curriculum standards compromise teachers' options:
The micromanagement of standards-based reform has deleterious effects on teachers' teaching, on teachers' students and on teachers' relationship to their work and with one another (Hargreaves, 2003, p.90).
This is a great book. It is well written and eloquent. Leaders should be readers, and Andy Hargreaves's new book makes professional reading engaging and interesting. Well done Andy Hargreaves.
Teachers College Press is to be congratulated on adding Andy Hargreaves to their list of authors. This book will help put TCP back into a field of educational excellence alongside Jossey-Bass and Corwin Press.
Book Description
Written by a team of internationally respected experts, this book explores the conditions under which social policy--defined as the public pursuit of secure welfare--operates in the poorer regions of the world. Making an important contribution by breaking away from the traditional focus on Europe and North America, it develops a new conceptual framework for understanding different types of welfare regimes in a range of countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Book Description
The events of September 11, 2001 compelled the American public to look at air travel as much more than merely another way of getting from point A to point B. An industry that was previously viewed as a routine component of modern transport is now seen as both a vital national asset and a vulnerable security risk.
In this compelling critique of the security measures taken after September 11, aviation security expert Andrew Thomas considers the proposed solutions to the vulnerability of airlines in terms of practicality, cost, and effectiveness, and outlines a better strategic approach for government and the aviation industry to meet new and existing threats while continuing to serve the public in an efficient manner.
Customer Reviews:
Wow! What a must read!!!.......2003-12-13
I picked this book up on a whim and couldn't put it down. Simple and easy to understand, it answers every question I hear about in the news almost daily. This is the first book that I have read which really explains how 9/11 unfolded.
The first real 9-11 book........2003-10-23
This is the first book I've read that really explains why 9-11 happened. Nowhere else have I found the FAA failings detailed. It is scary to think that our government enabled the hijackers to do what they did. Even more scary is the fact that it could happen again - after all the billions and hassle.
No accountability-No justice-No progress!.......2003-07-06
As a resident of Massachusett's South Shore and a frequent user of Logan Airport, I am saddened and angry at what Mr. Thomas has revealed in his case study of Boston's Logan Airport - a culture of compromise. Despite the steps Logan has taken since 9/11, the genie is long since out of the bottle. FAA Civil Aviation Security was responsible for oversight of the airport and airlines at Logan and failed miserably in the lead up to 9/11. Massport, then and now, was the least culpable entity charged with security responsibility. The airlines and their fawning sycophants within the FAA's New England Region Civil Aviation Security Division have the blood of thousands on their hands. Willie Gripper and Mary Carol Turano should be fired. I thank Mr. Thomas for recording their wretched performance and at least holding them guilty in the court of public opinion. Mr. Thomas is absolutely correct when he says "No accountability - No justice - no progress." The state of aviation security today leaves much to be desired. We certainly are not getting what we've paid for from the TSA. The airline industry, so critical to the economic well being of our nation, remains vulnerable, but the margin of error has been reduced significantly. I can't imagine what would happen to the air industry and our economy should we experience another downed aircraft in a terrorist attack. The problem is, as before, it is not a question of if, but when. Without accountability we will continue to see a culture of bureaucracy more focussed on trying to convince the traveling public that it is safe to fly, rather than one which actually has the chutzpah to make it safe to fly. Where are our elected representatives who are charged with providing the necessary oversight to insure the American public is protected? What an outrage!!
Finally the truth!!.......2003-06-04
In this riveting account, Thomas has pieced together the sad history of aviation security. A great read, it made me very angry. Intensive research and attention to detail show how aviation security BEFORE and AFTER 9/11 is still not taken seriously by our government. A necessary book for all Americans.
Average customer rating:
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Between Security and Insecurity (Prospects for Tomorrow)
Ivan Klima
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Ethics & Morality
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ASIN: 0500281580 |
Book Description
The dimensions of space and time defy the human imagination: they inevitably undermine traditional beliefs, while giving rise to the sort of substitute faiths that caused catastrophic wars in our century and are now behind attempts to create a new, artificial world of entertainment, games, and virtual reality. The eminent Czech writer Ivan Klima discusses here the changes in thinking and behavior at the turn of the millennium. He considers the main values in human society that must be preserved, and he tries to identify those people in today's world who are seeking to transform generally accepted consumer values into genuine values based on mutual human relations, moderation, and an understanding of the place of humans in nature.
Book Description
In this highly original ethnography about the people of postsocialist Szeged, a marginalized border city in Hungary, West provides valuable historical background to help illustrate and explain the impact of freedom from state paternalism. She embraces and includes voices, opinions, and experiences of community members to discover that their main concern is lack of security. In a new era of political and economic freedom, they no longer know what each day will bring; the system no longer provides employment, health care, education, housing, and loopholes for living more comfortably. The intricate effects of change on kinship, holidays, agriculture, the perception Hungarians have of themselves, and gendered representations of the nation and its members are unraveled to reveal a community in the midst of reconstructing its identity.
Average customer rating:
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Happiness and Hardship: Opportunity and Insecurity in New Market Economies
Carol Graham , and
Stefano Pettinato
Manufacturer: Brookings Institution Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Worlds Apart: Measuring International and Global Inequality
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The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists' Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics
ASIN: 0815702418 |
Average customer rating:
- Two trends resulting in a new, society-wide insecurity
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The New Insecurity: The End of the Standard Job and Family (S U N Y Series in Social and Political Thought)
Jerald Wallulis
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Labor Policy
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ASIN: 079143656X |
Book Description
Since 1973, the median family income in the United States has remained static, in marked contrast to the period from 1947 to 1973, when it actually doubled. Downsizing and corporate restructuring have produced widespread worries about employment, health-care coverage, and pension benefits. The American dream of a well-paid, permanent job, upward mobility, secure home ownership, and greater prosperity for one's children is for many today a remote, even romantic notion. Perhaps equally unrealistic is the expectation of sharing the American dream with the same marriage partner for all of one's adulthood.
The New Insecurity contrasts this new insecurity with a more secure past, when there were career ladders, factories stayed at home, and marriages lasted. But it also places it in a wider historical context, tracing it back to the docile bodies of Michel Foucault and the constant minds of Gerhard Oestreich at the very beginnings of the modern army. "Fight, don't flee," the command given then, has changed, according to the advice of business manuals today, to "don't stay too long" and "keep your options open." Jerald Wallulis offers a framework for understanding this individual uncertainty, arguing that today's challenges to traditional life planning are not momentary, nor will the free-floating economic anxiety disappear when the next "real" economic recovery comes.
But Wallulis also makes the case that the envied security of past generations did not depend on their prospects for long-term, full-time employment alone. It was also made possible by the development of social insurance programs designed to provide protection against unemployment, disability, and old-age indigency. This book emphasizes the contribution of the "insurance state" to the achievement of individual security and explores how programs of income assistance could protect the individual against the strong income fluctuations so prevalent in the new job market.
Customer Reviews:
Two trends resulting in a new, society-wide insecurity.......2000-01-21
Wallulis, professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California, describes the new insecurity resulting from two major changes: the end of the traditional job and the end of the traditional family (and marriage). His book is meant to compliment the existing literature on the subject already covered by the management and business disciplines. His basic premise is that we are moving from an "insurance" state, where our basic security was protected by jobs and companies, social welfare, and "till death do we part" marriages. This results in a "new insecurity." Although his discussion is from a philosophical / historical point of view (Foucault, etc.), he does devote a major portion of his book to the ideas of Bridges, Charles Handy, Robert Reich and Peter Drucker. In the case of insecurity resulting from the end of "jobs", the concepts he discusses (e.g., "employability vs. employment", multiskilled workers, reliance on self rather than on companies or employers) is strikingly similar to those being discussed by contemporary thinkers in the management, business, economics and organizational behavior disciplines.
Average customer rating:
- The kind of analysis to be expected from a social worker.
- Illusions of Prosperity
- A Very Disappointing Book
- DEMOCRATIC LEFT, SPRING 1999
- Advance Praise for ILLUSIONS OF PROSPERITY
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Illusions of Prosperity: America's Working Families in an Age of Economic Insecurity
Joel Blau
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Economic Conditions
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ASIN: 0195146069 |
Book Description
Faith in the free market--the idea that profit seeking, managed care companies will improve the health care delivery system--has become a hot topic in the public policy debate. But, as Joel Blau demonstrates in this splendid work, so-called "free market" programs have been a dismal failure. Here, he launches a far-reaching assault on the idea that "the market" knows best. He looks at recent reforms in NAFTA, education, job training, welfare, and much more, showing that the new social policies have made matters worse and calling for a stronger, more caring government to counter the debilitating effects of the market. He also urges the development of the broadest possible political alliances to ensure economic security. Sure to raise controversy, this book turns today's conventional wisdom inside out, making a profound case for the importance of a strong government in a world where markets do not have all the answers.
Customer Reviews:
The kind of analysis to be expected from a social worker........2003-05-31
I agree that "The statistics that are presented are facts that will spark conversations because many of the unbelievable stats." The vast majority of the statistics are unbelievable, either because of negligence in their calculation, or problems with invalid inferences from them.
Blau's personal bias's plague the text, and render it as useful and believable as a textbook from the U.S.S.R., although because of the well known publisher a lot of otherwise educated people with average data analysis skills might be tempted to overlook some obvious errors. That would be a grave mistake.
Social workers play an important role in our society- increasing the efficiency of those who have suffered some kind of trauma (those who have witnessed murders, or been raped, for instance). However- this book highlights the need for increased scrutiny of claims by those who lack training in the areas they write on.
Illusions of Prosperity.......2001-10-11
. I chose this book because I thought that the book was going to be discussing the stock market and its effects on the economy. I wanted to read about the stock market because I find it very interesting. I believe that Illusions of Prosperity is a very well written book. There are many facts and statistics throughout the book that kept the reading interesting and made me really stop and think. Joel Blau shifted from topic to topic very well and what I thought was the best part about the book was that he gets right to the point and does not drag out any topics. There are a large amount of topics that are discussed in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. The insights and the ideas that Joel Blau shares throughout the book are well written and presented very well. I really like the way that Joel writes because he covers so much information and the information he gives is mind-boggling. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interesting in learning amazing facts about a wide range of topics. Joel Blau covers almost every topic that deals with economic security, from the stock market, wages, and age discrimination. I thought some of the best topics that were covered in this book were: The income barrier between different races and sex, facts about the number of businesses that move to different countries for cheaper labor and the amazing differences in labor costs, unbelievable unemployment facts, and the differences in jobs with higher levels of education. The statistics that are presented are facts that will spark conversations because many of the unbelievable stats. I would give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
A Very Disappointing Book.......2000-08-20
First an admission: my politics are free-market libertarian -- quite the opposite of Joel Blau's collectivism.
Nevertheless, I opened this book -- published by a distinguished press -- with an open mind, sincerely hoping to learn as well as to be challenged. Neither happened.
Essential to Blau's case for greater government intervention and more "economic democracy" is his factual claim that recent prosperity is an illusion, save for all but the richest Americans. He cites familiar statistics and studies purporting to prove that the average American household reached its peak of earning power in 1973 -- and that it's been downhill ever since. (At one point Blau actually says that prosperity of the sort that Americans knew during the first 30 years following WWII has "disappeared without a trace." Is he serious?)
From time to time, Blau seems to recognize the many problems that have been pointed out with the data he relies upon, but his efforts to meet those objections are weak. More importantly, Blau totally ignores the important research done by economists showing that the average American worker's ability to consume almost all goods and services available on the market is greater today than it was at any time in the past -- including 1973.
If you're looking for well-researched, well-written books that offer clear pictures of the change in American living standards over the years, Blau's book isn't one. Instead, read W. Michael Cox and Richard Alm, MYTHS OF RICH & POOR (Basic Books, 1999), and Stanley Lebergott, PURSUING HAPPINESS (Princeton University Press, 1993). These books are written by economists who know how to use, evaluate, and report empirical data.
In short, no serious person who evaluates the evidence objectively can conclude that the average American worker hasn't enjoyed substantial improvements in living standards over the past quarter century. Indeed, even those tiny handful of Americans (about 5%) who never move out of the lowest income-earning quintile have enjoyed significant increases in their ability to purchase almost all goods and services available on the market.
In addition to painting a woefully distorted picture of reality, Blau's theoretical arguments display a grave failure to grasp the most basic economic principles. For example, in arguing against free trade, he naively assumes that "business" is a great monolith -- monolithically in favor of free trade because free trade gives it access to cheap labor.
But on trade issues there is no monolithic business interest. Some businesses favor free trade because it promises them greater profits, while other businesses oppose free trade because it will subject them to greater competition. Ask USX if it supports free trade in steel. The answer you'll get is a resounding "no!" Ask American sugar farmer if they support freer trade in sugar. Again, "no!" Ask U.S. airlines if they're willing to let foreign air carriers transport passengers on domestic U.S. routes. "Not a chance!"
In truth, business people have been among the greatest and most successful opponents of free trade throughout history. To assume, as Blau does, that free trade helps business at the expense of workers and consumers is among the most tired and well-refuted objections to free trade.
Countless other flaws mar this book. I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone read it.
DEMOCRATIC LEFT, SPRING 1999.......1999-05-24
Blau argues that our veneration of markets has lowered the living standards of most Americans, and made us more vulnerable to the next economic crisis.... In an age of an 11,000 Dow index, and wide celebration of general prosperity, Blau exposes the truly bifurcated nature of the U.S. economy at the millenium: The richest one percent of Americans now have 39 percent of the net national wealth. Blau reminds us that his level is exceeded only by the period immediately prior to the Great Depression..... ILLUSIONS OF PROSPERITY reminds one of the sort of comprehensive, but eminently readable social policy analyses Michael Harrington wrote in past decades. Joel Blau, as in his previous book, THE VISIBLE POOR: Homelessness in the United States, is clearly carrying on the tradition.
Advance Praise for ILLUSIONS OF PROSPERITY.......1999-05-18
"Joel Blau has written a thoughtful and cogent analysis of the state of American society today, the impact of the market system on working families, and the consequences likely to flow from weakening the safety net further. The "Next Deal" solutions he proposes -- full employment policies, living wages, protection of the right to organize, stepped up infrastructure investments and meaningful social and welfare protections -- are cornerstones of any economic and political democracy, which lawmakers would do well to keep in mind as they shape policy for the 21st century." -- JOHN SWEENEY, PRESIDENT, AFL-CIO
"Blau has compiled a powerful brief against the neo-laissez faire doctrines that have dominated American economic and social welfare policy for three decades." -- RICHARD CLOWARD AND FRANCES FOX PIVEN
"Clearly written, closely argued, and carefully documented, ILLUSIONS OF PROSPERITY is an indispensable guide to public policy in these uncertain times. Blau not only charts how the American governement's embrace of laissez-faire ideology has wrecked havoc he tells us what can be done to undo the damage. Must reading for anyone who cares about what's happening to the average American." -- CHARLES NOBLE, author of WELFARE AS WE KNEW IT
Books:
- The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
- The Big Book of Colleges 2007
- The Book of Air and Shadows
- The Cointelpro Papers: Documents from the Fbi's Secret Wars Against Dissent in the United States (South End Press Classics Series, Volume, 8)
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)
- The Fred Factor: How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary
- The gem collector's handbook
- The Hope Chest (Brides of Lancaster County #4)
- The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance (Jossey-Bass Business and Management Series)
- The Innkeeper's Song
Books Index
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- She's Not the Man I Married: My Life with a Transgender Husband
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Changing Teachers, Changing Times: Teachers' Work and Culture in the Postmodern Age (Professional Development and Practice Series)
Media Unlimited, Revised Edition: How the Torrent of Images and Sounds Overwhelms Our Lives
Nothing's Impossible: Leadership Lessons from Inside and Outside the Classroom
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