A History of Education for the Many: From Colonization and Slavery to the Decline of US Imperialism

A History of Education for the Many provides a fresh perspective on the development of the US education system by examining it from a global and internationalist standpoint. It challenges the dominant narratives that education is the product of either a thriving democracy or a ruling-class project to reproduce structural inequalities and demonstrates the link between education and the struggles of working-class and oppressed peoples inside and outside the US. The book combines Marx's dialectic with W.E.B. Du Bois's historiographical approach to show how the mighty agency of the world's poor and oppressed has forced the US ruling class in foreign policy and domestic educational policies. It also offers a unique view of the dialectical development of social control by examining the role of the police and state violence, along with education or ideology over time. As US imperialism declines in the 21st century, Malott's historical analysis looks backwards while pushing us forward towards a liberated future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 23 March 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

A History of Education for the Many presents a fresh perspective on the evolution of the American education system, delving into its development from a global and internationalist standpoint. By challenging the prevailing narratives that attribute this growth to either a thriving democracy or a ruling-class initiative aimed at perpetuating structural inequalities, this book establishes a compelling connection between education and the struggles of working-class and oppressed individuals both within and outside the United States.

In a nation often criticized for its narrow-mindedness and inability to transcend its borders, this book provides a timely corrective by emphasizing the paramount influence of global power dynamics on the history of US education. By integrating Marx's dialectic with W.E.B. Du Bois's historiographical approach, Malott showcases how the powerful agency of the world's impoverished and oppressed has compelled the US ruling class to adopt foreign policy and domestic educational policies. Malott offers a distinctive interpretation of the dialectical evolution of social control by examining the role of the police and state violence, alongside education or ideology, over time. This historical analysis contextualizes the 2020 uprisings against racism and the movements to defund the police within a historical framework that extends back to eighteenth-century slave patrols.

As US imperialism continues to wane in the twenty-first century, and social movements across the globe continue to expand and intensify, Malott's historical analysis provides a backward-looking lens while also offering an optimistic and realistic vision for a liberated future. The eBook editions of this book are freely accessible in open access format under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license on bloomsburycollections.com.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350215160