This book is a unique invitation to rethink some of the most basic assumptions of higher education. The essays demonstrate that researchers have often concentrated on issues of effectiveness and efficiency in academe, rather than on issues of social justice and democracy. Participants in and organizations connected with higher education operate in ongoing patterns of struggle that embody competing conceptions of reality and what counts for knowledge. The essays in this volume make up a chorus of voices shaped by an interaction of dominant and subordinate forms of power. There is a focus on critical theory and the belief that education can be a transformative activity that creates conditions for empowerment.

Within the framework of this book, a number of chapters deal with how those in power insert their ideas into academe. Other chapters uncover a politics of hope, and of possibility. The book is not a definitive statement but rather an initial comment to encourage discussion. Those studying curriculum and instruction, as well as all faculty, administrators, and researchers in higher education will find this book a comprehensive resource.