EBOOK: Action for Social Justice in Education

Book excerpt: "Once again Morwenna Griffiths has produced a book on an important topic that speaks to theorists and practitioners alike. Read it.” Professor Alison Assiter, University of the West of England, Bristol. “This is a must read for anyone who wants to be provoked and supported toward action and change in education.” Professor Marilyn Johnston, College of Education, Ohio State University, USA. "a thoroughly engaging text" British Journal of Educational Studies "Socrates said we can't teach anyone anything, but only help them to think - that's what this book did for me and that's why I liked this book and would recommend it to my students, my friends and my colleagues. Unlike the majority of academic books, I found myself treating it like a novel and saving it up to read before I went to sleep at night, reading it more slowly as it got near the end - not wanting it to be finished. I liked it because it resonated with many of my experiences over the years and reminded me that I'm not alone in finding the struggle for social justice in education hard - but passionately worthwhile." InService Education Social justice is a verb. This book puts forward a view of social justice as action orientated rather than as a static theory. Complex discussions of difference, equality, recognition, and redistribution are made accessible and relevant to issues of class, race, gender, sexuality and disability. Interwoven with the discussion are compelling individual accounts of the pleasures and pains, the pitfalls and glittering prizes to be found in education - told by individuals coming from a diversity of social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. The second part of the book includes examples of successful interventions in real situations, related to self-esteem, empowerment, partnership, and the initiation of individual and joint action to improve social justice in education. The discussion is kept open through 'answering back' sections by educators committed to social justice: Deborah Chetcuti, Max Biddulph, Ghazala Bhatti, Roy Corden, Melanie Walker, Jon Nixon and Kenneth Dunkwu.