History of the Reproduction-Resistance Dichotomy in Critical Education: The Line of Critique against Louis Althusser, 1974-1985
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| Title: | History of the Reproduction-Resistance Dichotomy in Critical Education: The Line of Critique against Louis Althusser, 1974-1985 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | David I. Backer |
| Source: | Critical Education. 2021 12(6):1-21. |
| Availability: | Institute for Critical Education Studies. 2125 Main Mall, EDCP, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 Canada. Tel: 604-822-2830; Web site: https://ices.library.ubc.ca/index.php/criticaled/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 22 |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Descriptors: | Educational History, Criticism, Political Attitudes, Critical Theory, Educational Theories, Social Systems, Books, Educational Philosophy, Citation Analysis, Activism |
| ISSN: | 1920-4175 |
| Abstract: | This paper examines one intellectual and historical premise upon which the foundational distinction between reproduction and resistance rests in critical education: the line of critique against the French communist philosopher Louis Althusser's theory of education. In the paper, I claim that a particular reading of Althusser coming out of British Marxist scholarship in the 1970s helped configure the distinction, making it thinkable for two founders of critical education: Michael W. Apple and Henry A. Giroux. I contend that this set of interpretations of Althusser during the years before and just after Bowles and Ginitis's Schooling in Capitalist America was published, gave substance to the distinction between reproduction and resistance at the heart of critical education. I first briefly revisit Althusser's theory of education and its accompanying philosophy as I understand them. I then look at Apple and Giroux's interpretations of Althusser and the interpretations' importance to the reproduction-resistance dichotomy. Third, I trace the provenance of their interpretations via their citations to a series of source critiques of Althusser by Jacques Rancière, Michael Erben and Denis Gleeson, Alex Callinicos, and E. P. Thompson. I conclude the paper by suggesting that, if this earlier line of critique against Althusser were somehow flawed, then the distinction between reproduction and resistance might be flawed as well since Apple and Giroux base their concepts of reproduction and resistance upon it. And if this were the case, scholars and practitioners of critical education would have to rethink the foundations of our general paradigm. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1474017 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1474017 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1474017 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: History of the Reproduction-Resistance Dichotomy in Critical Education: The Line of Critique against Louis Althusser, 1974-1985 – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22David+I%2E+Backer%22">David I. Backer</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Critical+Education%22"><i>Critical Education</i></searchLink>. 2021 12(6):1-21. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Institute for Critical Education Studies. 2125 Main Mall, EDCP, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 Canada. Tel: 604-822-2830; Web site: https://ices.library.ubc.ca/index.php/criticaled/ – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 22 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2021 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+History%22">Educational History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Criticism%22">Criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Political+Attitudes%22">Political Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+Theory%22">Critical Theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Theories%22">Educational Theories</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Systems%22">Social Systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Books%22">Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Philosophy%22">Educational Philosophy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Citation+Analysis%22">Citation Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Activism%22">Activism</searchLink> – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1920-4175 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This paper examines one intellectual and historical premise upon which the foundational distinction between reproduction and resistance rests in critical education: the line of critique against the French communist philosopher Louis Althusser's theory of education. In the paper, I claim that a particular reading of Althusser coming out of British Marxist scholarship in the 1970s helped configure the distinction, making it thinkable for two founders of critical education: Michael W. Apple and Henry A. Giroux. I contend that this set of interpretations of Althusser during the years before and just after Bowles and Ginitis's Schooling in Capitalist America was published, gave substance to the distinction between reproduction and resistance at the heart of critical education. I first briefly revisit Althusser's theory of education and its accompanying philosophy as I understand them. I then look at Apple and Giroux's interpretations of Althusser and the interpretations' importance to the reproduction-resistance dichotomy. Third, I trace the provenance of their interpretations via their citations to a series of source critiques of Althusser by Jacques Rancière, Michael Erben and Denis Gleeson, Alex Callinicos, and E. P. Thompson. I conclude the paper by suggesting that, if this earlier line of critique against Althusser were somehow flawed, then the distinction between reproduction and resistance might be flawed as well since Apple and Giroux base their concepts of reproduction and resistance upon it. And if this were the case, scholars and practitioners of critical education would have to rethink the foundations of our general paradigm. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1474017 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 22 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Educational History Type: general – SubjectFull: Criticism Type: general – SubjectFull: Political Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Critical Theory Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Theories Type: general – SubjectFull: Social Systems Type: general – SubjectFull: Books Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Philosophy Type: general – SubjectFull: Citation Analysis Type: general – SubjectFull: Activism Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: History of the Reproduction-Resistance Dichotomy in Critical Education: The Line of Critique against Louis Althusser, 1974-1985 Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: David I. Backer IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2021 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1920-4175 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 12 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Critical Education Type: main |
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