Rediscovering the Democratic Purposes of Education. Edited by Lorraine M. McDonnell, P. Michael Timpane, and Roger Benjamin. Lawrence: The University Press of Kansas, 2000. 280p. $40 cloth, $17.95 paper.

Extract

The public discourse on the purpose of education is dominated by functionalist or human capital theory, which argues that the primary purpose of schools is to impart to citizens skills that will be needed to compete and win in the U.S. marketplace and the global economy. This edited volume attempts to correct this imbalance by emphasizing civics education and political socialization as important functions of schools.