Rizvi and Lingard's account of the global politics of education is thoughtful, complex and compelling. It is the first really comprehensive discussion and analysis of global trends in education policy, their effects - structural and individual - and resistance to them. In the enormous body of writing on globalisation this book stands out and will become a basic text in education policy courses around the world.
- Stephen J Ball, Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, Institute of Education, University of London, UK
In what ways have the processes of globalization reshaped the educational policy terrain?
How might we analyse education policies located within this new terrain, which is at once local, national, regional and global?
In Globalizing Education Policy, the authors explore the key global drivers of policy change in education, and suggest that these do not operate in the same way in all nation-states. They examine the transformative effects of globalization on the discursive terrain within which educational policies are developed and enacted, arguing that this terrain is increasingly informed by a range of neo-liberal precepts which have fundamentally changed the ways in which we think about educational governance. They also suggest that whilst in some countries these precepts are resisted, to some extent, they have nonetheless become hegemonic, and provide an overview of some critical issues in educational policy to which this hegemonic view of globalization has given rise, including:
- devolution and decentralization
- new forms of governance
- the balance between public and private funding of education
- access and equity and the education of girls
- curriculum particularly with respect to the teaching of English language and technology
- pedagogies and high stakes testing
- and the global trade in education.
These issues are explored within the context of major shifts in global processes and ideological discourses currently being experienced, and negotiated by all countries. The book also provides an approach to education policy analysis in an age of globalization and will be of interest to those studying globalization and education policy across the social sciences.
1. Introduction 2. Perspectives on Globalization 3. Analyzing Educational Policies 4. Educational Purposes 5. Curriculum and Pedagogy 6. Assessment and Accountability 7. Educational Governance 8. Access and Equity 9. Student Mobility and Educational Trade 10. Alternatives to Neo-liberal Globalization
Biography
Fazal Rizvi is a Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.
Bob Lingard is a Professorial Research Fellow at the School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia.
"Overall, this compendium is an excellent read and offers a lot of conceptual tools to make sense of globalizing education policy. I would highly recommend it to faculty and graduate students in the fields of educational policy, sociology of education, comparative and international education, higher education, and curriculum studies. The book has inspired me to see the complexity and transformative possibilities in analyzing and responding to education policy dilemmas in a globalized context."—Comparative Education Review
'This book is one that resonates with the recent work of other scholars who have also called for new approaches to understanding and promoting educational change. Rizvi and Lingard’s work is both instructive and provocative bringing key issues to light, challenging assumptions, and pointing out that as the social, political, and economic contexts of education shift, so to must theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of educational policies.' - Minori Nagahara, Journal of Educational Change
'Theoretically, the book is grounded in some of the rich theories of culture and society developed over the past few decades amid the ‘‘linguistic turn’’ that has challenged simple ‘‘rationalist’’ ideas of influence and power. Key theorists include Michel Foucault and Nikolas Rose with their concept of ‘‘governmentality,’’ Pierre Bourdieu and his vision of social ‘‘fields,’’ Arjun Appadurai with his nuanced interpretation of neo-colonialism, and David Held with his broad-ranging discussions of globalization. Given Rizvi and Lingard’s interest in nuanced intersections between culture, language, and material contexts, their chosen theoretical frameworks seem quite relevant.' - Aaron Schutz, Journal of Educational Change
