Political Relationship and Narrative Knowledge - A Critical Analysis of School Authoritarianism

Armitage taught for one year in a British grammar school from 1971 to 1972 when the school amalgamated with a secondary modern school to form a comprehensive school. He followed the political practices and episodes of the amalgamation in relation to their political and educational significance.

The amalgamation seemed to result in an ineffective and underperforming school and he tried to introduce practical and constructive changes. His narrative describes his political struggle to reform the school in the face of an anti-democratic and authoritarian culture. The causes of failure are analyzed, and the real, complex, and messy functioning of a school system uncovered. The need to understand the politics and culture of schooling is advocated. A model of micropolitical action and responsibility is demonstrated that could help result in improvement of educational institutions.

List of contents

Introduction
The Making of a Comprehensive School: The Significance of Micropolitical Practices
Narrative Action and Theoretical Explanation
A Micropolitcal Process
Disciplinary Tribunal for Criticizing a Head Teacher
The Politics of Domination
Discourse, Policy, Politics
Authoritarianism Versus Authority
The Ideological Domination and Emancipation of Educators
Narrative Explanation, Validity, and Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

About the author

PETER B. ARMITAGE is an independent writer and researcher and lives in Annandale, Virginia.

Product details

• Authors: Peter Armitage, Armitage Peter B.
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.06.2000
• EAN: 9780897896900
• ISBN: 978-0-89789-690-0
• No. of pages: 256
• Weight: 595 g
• Series: Critical Studies in Education and Culture Series
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > General, dictionaries; EDUCATION / Administration / General, Anthropology, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / General, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Organization & management of education, Educational administration and organization, c 1970 to c 1979, c 1970 to c 1980, Current Events and Issues: Education