The following review appeared in the January 2014 issue of CHOICE
Giroux, Henry A. America’s education deficit and the war on youth. Monthly Review Press, 2013. 238p index ISBN 9781583673454, $75.00; ISBN 9781583673447 pbk, $16.95
In comparison to other books and their focus on education reform, Giroux (McMaster Univ., Canada) provides a much more poignant and global perspective on the social and political disenfranchisement of today’s youth and how the social and political impact education (and vice versa). Such issues are honed (almost) exclusively with a concern for youth from impoverished and/or diverse backgrounds, but done so with fairness and well-sustained arguments. Throughout the book, Giroux maintains a methodical approach to the discussion and cites specific and (surprisingly) contemporary examples of skewed social perceptions of youth from diverse backgrounds (e.g., hoodie politics). Additionally, the global perspective is well articulated in the discussions ofthe school-to-prison pipeline and the factors that contribute to it. However, the most significant feature ofthe author’s discussion is the systematic deconstruction of public perceptions based on religion, economic influence, and race/ethnicity. The book is recommended for readers with a strong understanding of educational policy and associated fields, graduate-level readers, and those currently in practice in social fields (e.g., education or social work). Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. — G. Moreno, Northeastern Illinois University
Comments are closed.