On the Politics of Educational Theory

This book analyses the role of educational theories in the construction of collective, political identities. Rather than understanding educational theories solely as addressing issues of childrearing and instruction, the aim of the book is to see them in a broader socio-political context. Defining the methodological framework through the perspectives of Michel Foucault and Ernesto Laclau, each chapter examines the ways in which theories of education contribute to the creation of social realities and identities. The 'postulational rhetoric', which refers to a normative mode of language use where we state what actions 'should' be taken, will be traced across various theoretical discourses on education and its diverse political implications analysed.