In a recent debate on authority in the discourse of English Studies scholarship, writers seem to line up on two sides: the "friends of the familiar essay," and those who advocate "the article." The essay/article debate seems to be part of the conflict opened by the Renaissance over writing, selfhood, power, and knowledge. What…

Although several recent articles have addressed postmodernism in ethical terms, it is not difficult to see the perils facing anyone who wants to talk about ethics, since it is hard to justify certain practices over others. An individual cannot appeal to human needs or capacities, since these are said to be variously constructed by various…

This paper seeks to tell and untell five stories about the notion of "policy hysteria." The first story, about developments in vocationalism in the United Kingdom over the last decade, serves as illustration for the second story, which is a critical analysis of vocationalist discourse. It is alleged that vocationalist discourse is made…

Distinguishing the contextual realm addressed by ontological education as a valid area for inquiry by those who think about language and communication, this paper discusses an approach to education that is ontological in nature, in that its focus is the "being" of human beings rather than their knowledge. The paper explores several ideas…

The prototype of the modern youth novel emerged in the second half of the 19th century, and books written specifically for either male or female youths often covered similar storylines and themes, usually educational in purpose. Changes in the readership emerged rather slowly, but a dramatic shift in ideas about children's literature was inspired…

Reflecting on Jean-Francois Lyotard's work "The Postmodern Condition" may provide those who work in the writing center with additional ideas about how to make writing centers the next best thing in composition instruction. Lyotard offers a way to argue against the affirmation of traditional values and characteristics in writing (i.e.,…

This book provides an introduction to the field of curriculum and instruction development as it relates to emerging postmodern education paradigms. The book discusses such terms as "curriculum development,""postmodernism,""hermeneutics,""paradigm,""chaos theory,""poststructuralism," and…

The field of educational technology was built on the positivist, modernist search for a best medium towards universal communication and the teaching of predetermined behavior and thinking patterns. Once, this medium was thought to be motion pictures, then television, then programmed instruction, and today it is hoped that it will be instructional…

While not attempting to unify the various theories in cultural studies, this paper proposes pointers or directions to further transformations of cultural studies. The paper identifies and analyzes the works of two theorists, who have largely been ignored in cultural studies, to suggest a resolution of the theoretical conflicts surrounding cultural…

Noting that the study of composition has been less affected by postmodern theory than other humanities and social science disciplines, this book assesses the study and teaching of writing against the larger theoretical, political, and technological upheavals of the past 30 years. The book addresses the theoretical debate about the "self"…

Hypothesizing that the tendency to define postmodern culture negatively derives from overliteral and undercritical responses to European theorists, this book of essays identifies the wide parameters of postmodernism. The book demonstrates that the literary and artistic temper of the postmodern condition in Europe and America cannot adequately be…

Postpedagogy--teaching within postmodern culture--begins in the belief that modern culture and all of its institutions, including education, has entered a vaguely defined post-condition called postmodernism. This post-condition is not simply an interesting artistic category or mere academic theory, but is a fundamental shift in modes of…

This article uses figurations taken from popular culture to explore Donna Haraway's concept of cyborg identities, extending this to include childhood. Starting from her identification of the image of the cyborg as an ironic metaphorical response to capitalism, two negative forms of identity are explored in relation to current technological…

Examines feminist theory within the context of other current philosophical discourses, particularly postmodernist deconstructionism. Argues that gender must be understood as a social relation, an undertaking that will involve the continuing deconstruction of the meanings we attach to biology, sex, gender, and nature. (KH)

In the current post-modern period, art is considered a cultural expression of the whole mind, and its best works set standards of achievement for the whole culture. How art educators must rethink and redesign art education curricula and learning experiences to reflect this post-modern period is discussed. (RM)