Critique of the Classical Theory of Education Crisis

Glenn Rikowski

doi:10.35699/2238-037x.2020.26662

Abstract

The Classical Theory of Education Crisis is the default theory utilised by educational theorists for understanding the constitution and explanation of education crises in contemporary society. Following a brief outline of the concept of crisis, and the histiography of the notion of education crisis from the Second World War to the neoliberal recession of 1980-82, there is an outline of The Classical Theory of Education Crisis as most fully expressed in Madan Sarup’s classic Education, State and Crisis: A Marxist Perspective (1982). The key aspect of the Classical Theory is that education crises are derivative of economic crises. This is followed by the main event: critique of the Classical Theory. Its reliance on structuralist thought (with associated determinism, functionalism and reductionism) and the inflow of economics imperialism are some of its key deficiencies. The Conclusion outlines ground still to be covered and the need to move beyond the Classical Theory of Education Crisis.

Highlights

The ‘credit crunch’ and associated Great Recession of 2007-09 generated a vast literature on the nature, causes and explanation of crises in capitalism in general and the 2007-09 phenomena in particular
The Classical Theory of Education Crisis still informs the main ways in which education crises are thought about and the political responses and strategies resulting from such analyses
Notwithstanding the flaws and shortcomings in The Classical Theory of Education Crisis its Marxist pedigree is to be fêted. This is because Marxism is a theory of crisis: it is a theory that seeks out the weak links, fragilities in the rule of capital

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The ‘credit crunch’ and associated Great Recession of 2007-09 generated a vast literature on the nature, causes and explanation of crises in capitalism in general and the 2007-09 phenomena in particular. This article focuses on this last aspect: the concept of education crisis It outlines and critiques what could be called The Classical Theory of Education Crisis embedded within the seminal work of Madan Sarup in his Education, State and Crisis: A Marxist Perspective, produced within Marxist theory (SARUP, 1982). It provides an embryonic account of The Classical Theory of Education Crisis, and indicates some early examples that push beyond it. A seção 2 fornece amostra sobre a literatura que discute a crise educacional no mundo Anglófono, com foco particular no Reino Unido, iniciando-se do fim do boom do pós-Guerra à publicação do livro de Sarup Educação, Estado e Crise em 1982. A conclusão explora pontos de partida alternativos para análise da crise educacional à luz das deficiências da Teoria Clássica

CRISIS

THE AGE OF EDUCATION CRISES

THE CLASSICAL THEORY OF EDUCATION CRISIS

A TEORIA CLÁSSICA DA CRISE DA EDUCAÇÃO

CRITIQUE OF THE CLASSICAL THEORY OF EDUCATION CRISIS

CRÍTICA DA TEORIA CLÁSSICA DA CRISE DA EDUCAÇÃO

23 For example

25 Por exemplo

CONCLUSION