Foucault's Challenge: Discourse, Knowledge, and Power in Education

by Thomas S. Popkewitz, Marie T. Brennan

The intellectual work of Michel Foucault has been an increasingly central component of social science in recent years. This is the first book to directly address the implication of Foucault's work for the field of education. This text, originally published in 1997, not only provides a critical examination of the significance of Foucauldian thought for education, but also discusses how Foucault’s theories are arrayed in the everyday life of schools. “One of a kind ... . All readers will share an unbridled enthusiasm.”
—Lynda Stone, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Anyone concerned with policy and pedagogy in education should read it.”
—Geoff Whitty, University of London
“Required reading for all critical theorists of education.”
—Johan Muller,University of Cape Town

Genres: Education

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 1998

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the essays were a little clunky; they felt like first attempts by the authors to lay out Foucault's work and "apply" it to education. Perhaps I just wasn't part of the intended audience though - this could be useful for teachers more familiar with critical pedagogy but unfamiliar with Foucault.
But if the book's topic interests you, I think the first essay, written by the volume's editors, is worth a read.