Education in a Globalized World: The Connectivity of Economic Power, Technology, and Knowledge

The seemingly amorphous phenomenon we call 'globalization' involves concrete realities that make it a major source of social change in our contemporary world. Bringing globalization alive for students, this book uses examples and perspectives from economics, technology, and mass media to show how globalization is producing unprecedented impacts on education and culture. Education at all levels-from primary school to university education-is undergoing a world wide transformation of its objectives, values, and practices. New technologies and communication practices have promoted the West's optimism that market forces can replace the former governmental responsibilities for social welfare and the inclusion of diverse cultures. New emphasis on competition, quality control, parental choice, marketing, and the linkage of education to work means that schools all over the world face innovations and challenges to established practices. Meanwhile, the worldwide expansion of entertainment and advertising media convey notions of individualism and consumerism that are changing definitions of gender and solidarity among social groups. This book offers a vivid introduction to these complex changes, recognizing the role of the state while explaining new forces like transnational corporations and nongovernmental organizations. Stromquist points to governmental and school policies that can actively shape the future of education at a time of rapid change.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 I. Theorizing Globalization Chapter 3 II. The Twinning of Ideas and Material Conditions: Globalization, Neoliberalism, and Postmodernism Chapter 4 III. Educational Impacts of Economic and Cultural Globalization Chapter 5 IV. Consequences of Communication Technologies on Culture and Education Chapter 6 V. Transnational Corporations and the Creation of Values and Citizenship Chapter 7 VI. The University as the Spearhead of Globalization Chapter 8 VII. Gender within Globalized Education Chapter 9 VIII. Agency and Resistance in the Globalization Era Chapter 10 IX. Reframing the Future Chapter 11 Appendix A

About the Author :
Nelly P. Stromquist is professor of international development education at the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. She specializes on gender issues and social equity policies in developing countries. Her previous books include Citizen for Citizenship: Gender and Grassroots Dimensions in Brazil (SUNY, 1997) and co-edited work on Globalization and Education: Integration and Contestation Across Cultures (Rowman, 2000) and Distant Alliances: Promoting Education for Girls and Women in Latin America (RoutledgeFalmer, 2000).

Review :
A comprehensive and robust examination of the subject. This valuable book is a welcome addition to the burgeoning globalization literature. Critical, yet balanced, this book provides a very impressive synthesis of key themes related to education and globalization from a comparative perspective. Passionate, but not strident, the author's style is accessible, especially given the remarkable range of the materials covered. Valuable for middle level undergraduate through graduate level students.