Anthropology 597EJ - ST-Activism/EducationalJustice

The social justice promise of public education, in the U.S. and beyond, has been to develop all citizens as knowledgeable, capable, and empowered participants in their communities, polities, and economies. Such a promise requires, among other things, public accountability. Yet contemporary educational "reform" efforts around the world are moving to privatize public education, constraining the public's role to one of market-based choice. This class examines struggles for democratic, community-controlled public educational systems. This class will examine historical and contemporary social movements and community-based groups that have and are organizing for educational justice. In addition to studying the complexities of public control over educational systems, this classroom will require students to engage in the messy work of democratic control of our own classroom learning community.

Open to Graduate students only.