Education in a Globalized World

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.

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.

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