Traditionally, university-level general education courses in English focus on the appreciation of literature. A fundamental premise of this approach is that literate people enjoy reading because they can talk about books with friends, which makes the classroom a sort of modern-day coffee house. Contributing to this pedagogical philosophy is the…

One of the most interesting controversies in the theory of teaching composition--and one that has profound consequences for classroom practice--is the debate over "ideological" or "radical" pedagogy. In the minds of most mainstream Americans, an ideological education is associated with dictatorship and state control of…

The classical marketplace metaphor for intellectual exchange forms the ideological basis for the way argument is still taught in composition classrooms, where supposedly students are being prepared to participate as full citizens in an equal democracy. However, such a view of democratic citizenship, free speech, and argument is open to criticism…

Noting that many varied organizations have become increasingly politicized and maintain strong interests in the nation's education agenda, a survey of national professional organizations examined to what extent conservatism and liberalism on political matters translated into a similar mind-set on issues in the English curriculum. To survey 23…

Examines the trend of community colleges to narrow the language arts curriculum to meet a restricted definition of "literacy." Argues for a wider definition that calls upon students to become familiar with the various uses of language through reading and writing. (FL)