This course will explore the ways in which education does and does not help to accommodate cultural difference.  We will discuss and consider how the American education system and schooling may be tools for social reproduction.  We will examine the ways in which institutions of education may marginalize students and reinforce hegemonic practices that support class bias, racism, sexism and heterosexism.

Education and Difference will explore the power of storytelling and narrative as a tool for resistance to social reproduction and as a tool of transformative education.  We will discuss how people are able to use education to grow from being victimized to being empowered; from agent to ally.

Participants will connect our experiences as students and workers through personal narrative.  We will read traditional, critical and feminist education theory and review the history of school reform movements.

We will discuss and seek answers to two questions: 1) why have reform agendas aimed at helping marginalized students been unsuccessful? and 2) what do our education institutions need to do to educate all children and socialize them for participation in a citizenry based on democratic principles?