DOCUMENT RESUME ED 295 320 EA 020 082 AUTHOR Giroux, Henry TITLE Critical Theory and Educational Practice. ESA 841, Theory and Practice in Educational Administration. INSTITUTION Deakin Univ., Victoria (Australia). REPORT NO ISBN-0-7300-0001-X PUB DATE 83 NOTE 146p. AVAILABLE FROMPublication Sales, Deakin University Press, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3217, Australia ($12.50 Australian; quantity and educational discounts). PUB TYPE Viewpoints (120) -- Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Cultural Context; *Educational Philosophy; Educational Policy; Educational Sociology; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Foundations of Education; *Ideology; *Marxian Analysis; Political Socialization', *Politics of Education; Social Change; Social Stratification; Values IDENTIFIERS *Frankfurt School ABSTRACT The introductory essay in this volume argues for the importance of the original critical theory developed by the Frankfurt school (The Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany) in developing a critical foundation for a neo-Marxist theory of radical pedagogy., Accordingly, it begins by defining the aims of the Frankfurt school and then goes on to discuss its history and background. This is followed by an indepth analysis of the Frankfurt school's analysis of the heritage of Enlightenment rationality and their critique of instrumental reason. The Frankfurt school's philosophical stance is then delineated in detail, including its notion of theory, its analysis of culture, and its analysis of depth psychology; on the basis of this discussion, the principal elements of a critical theory of education is outlined. The latter part of the volume consists of four essays by different authors: (1) "Traditional and Critical Theory," by M. Horkheimer; (2) "The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception," by M. Horkheimer and T. W. Adorno; "The Triumph of Positive Thinking: One-Dimensional Philosophy," by Herbert Marcuse; and "The Method and Function of an Analytic Social Psychology: Notes on Psychoanalysis and 3istorical Materialism," by Erich Fromm. An annotated bibliography is included. (TE) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************** ESA 841 THEORY AND PRACTICE IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION s,), Critical Theory and Lcri: Educational Practice C:11 Le-1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Office of Educational Research and Improvement MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER !ERIC) p4.4 This document has been reproduced as cceived from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made tc mprove reproduction quality. Points of vtew or opinion s stated m this docu- TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ment do not necessanty represent official OERI position or eolicY- INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." 2 Henry Giroux ESA841 Theory and practice in educational administration Critical theory and educational practice Henry Giroux Boston University A _.. Deakin University Victoria 3217 1983 3 Published by Deakin University. Victoria, Australia 34 17 Distributed by Deakin University Press First published 1983 Copyright @ Deakin University 1983 Edited and designed by Deakin University Production Unit Printed by Deakin University Printery National Library of Australia Cataloguirg in publication data Giroux. Henry A. 1943-. Critical theory and educational practice At head of title: Theory and practice in educational administration Bibliography. ESP 841. ISBN 0 7300 0001 X. ISBN 0 7300 0000 1 (dSA 841) I. Education. I. Deakin University. P Title. IIITitle Theory and practice in educational administration. 370 This book forms part of the Theory and practice in educational administration course offered by the School of Education in Deakin University s Open Campus Program The book has been prepared in collaboration with the Theory and practice in educational administration course team. whose members are Course team Richard dates (chairman) Diana Macmillan (course developer) Consultants William Boyd John Codd Don Erickson William Foster Henry Giroux Peter Gronn Laurence Iannaccone Edward Kynaston Thomas Popkewitz Paula Silver Peter Watkins The course includes' Change and Stability in Schooling Class, Control and Contestation in Educational Organisation Critical Theory and Educational Practice Educational Administration and Student Outcomes Educational Administration and the Management of Knowledge LooseCoupling Revisited A Critical View of Weick's Contribution to Educational Administration Philosophy. Common Sense and Action in Educational Administration Political Legitimacy and the Administration of Education Political Science and Educational Administration Professiona..1.n Educational Administration Rethinking Educational Administration T.B Greenfield and his Critics Theory and Practice in Educational Administration Course Guide Thinking Aloud Acknowledgements We should like to thank all those authors. publishers and other copyright holders who kindly gave us permission to include the material reproduced in this book While every Marc has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyright, we tender our apologies for any accidental infringement We should be pleased to come to a suitable arrangement vvitti the- rightful owner in such a case. 4 Series introduction It is now widely recognised, among theorists andpractitioners alike, that the traditions that have informed educational administrationas a field of study for several decades are of only limited use in coming to terms withthe complexit3 and value-laden nature of educational practice. The sudden politicisationof the context and conduct of education has raised issues of immediate import that cannot be dealt with adequately by functionalist analysis or behaviouralscience. The collapse of these theoretical traditions in educational administrationhas produced a vacuum into which a very haphazard collection of intellectualbric- z-brac has been sucked. As a result, both theorists and thepractitioners who look to them for help in an increasingly disordered world are alike in their bewilderment. How can alternative formulations be developed? Howcan reliable and relevant analyses be made? The series of books of which this volume is a partis an attempt to explore a variety of intellectual traditions that have, untilnow, been largely ignored or dismissed by educational administrators. Each of the booksis an attempt to bring a particular intellectual perspective to bear on the practical problems of admin- istering education. They are, therefore, diverse in theirstarting points and in their analysis. What they have in common, however, is a rejection ofa purely technical, functionalist approach to educational administration, anda commitment to a critical and reflexive consideration of educational practice. The ideas presented in the introductory essays are necessarilyan encapsulation of arguments which have developed and are developingmore fully elsewhere. In order to assist readers to participate in these developments, selectedreadings are attached to each paper, and an annotated bibliography of key works is provided We hope that the publication of this series will encourage othersto join a necessary exploration of alternative perspectivesin educational adminis- tration. Such exploration is long overdue. Course team chairman 5 Contents Critical theory and educationalpractice 7 Introduction 8 History and background 9 Rationality and the critique of instrumentalreason 11 The Frankfurt School's notion of theory 15 The Frankfurt School's analysis of culture 19 The Frankfurt School's analysis of depthpsychology 23 Towards a critical theory of education 28 Conclusion 33 References 34 Readings 37 1 M. Horkheimer 38 Traditional and critical theory 2 M. Horkheimer and T.W.Adorno 53 The culture industry: enlightenmentas mass deception 3H. Marcuse 93 The triumph of positive thinking:one-dimensional philosophy 4E. Fromm 119 The method and function ofan analytic social psychology: notes on psychoanalysis and historical materialism Annotated bibliography 141 6 Critical theory and educational practice 7 8 Introduction This essay attempts to contribute to the search for a theoretical foundation upon which to develop a critical theory of education. Within the par- ameters of this task, the notion of critical theory has a two-fold meaning. First, critical theory refers to the body of theoretical work developed by certain members of what can be loosely described as 'the Frankfurt School'. What this suggests is that critical theory was never a fully articulated philosophy shared unproblematically by all members of the Frankfurt School. But it must be stressed that while one cannot point to a single critical theory shared by all of the members, one can point to the common attempt to assess the newly emerging forms of capitalism along with the changing forms of domination that accompanied them. Similarly, there was an attempt on the part of all the members of the Frankfurt School torethink and rad- ically reconstruct the meaning of human emancipation, a project whose aim differed considerably from the orientation of orthodox Marxism. Spe- cifically, I argue in this essay for the importance of the original critical theory and the insights it provides for developing a critical