Libraries, Classrooms, and the Interests of Democracy
Marking the Limits of Neoliberalism- Authors:
- Publisher:
- 2012
Summary
Library marketing and advertising in schools are now very widespread practices. Since libraries and schools have been strongly linked to economic performance, adopting marketing and advertising techniques into them is often seen as a natural extension of that linkage. But should that be the case? John Buschman argues that as we shape and guide our educative institutions, we should carefully consider the consequences.
In Libraries, Classrooms, and the Interests of Democracy: Marking the Limits of Neoliberalism, Dr. Buschman details the connections between our educative institutions and democracy, and the resources within democratic theory reflecting on the tensions between marketing, advertising, consumption, and democracy. Drawing on wide scholarship to explore some of the history of democratic theory and its intertwinements with capitalism, the author helps the reader think about how democracies can deal with the challenges of this current historical phase. The complex arguments of de Tocqueville, Dewey, Marx, and many others help clarify how the market has pierced classrooms and libraries with advertising and marketing—and why this is of concern in the interests of democracy.
In this volume, Buschman provides a history of marketing and advertising and their entanglements with democracy, education, and libraries. He then engages Democratic Theory and the framework it provides to critique neoliberalism’s influences. A final chapter traces the trajectory of neoliberalism and educative institutions on our democracy. Throughout, the book makes clear that issues concerning public educative institutions in a democracy are political. A provocative and engaging book, Libraries, Classrooms, and the Interests of Democracy should be required reading for anyone interested in the challenges facing libraries today.
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Bibliographic data
- Copyright year
- 2012
- ISBN-Print
- 978-0-8108-8528-8
- ISBN-Online
- 978-0-8108-8529-5
- Publisher
- Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 239
- Product type
- Book Titles
Table of contents
- Contents No access
- Preface No access
- Chapter One: Should We Be Bothered by Library Marketing and Advertising in the Classroom, and, If So, Why?—An Introduction No access
- Chapter Two: A Historical View I: A Précis on the Entanglements of Democracy, Education, and Libraries in America No access
- Chapter Three: A Historical View II: A Précis on Advertising in Schools, Marketing in Libraries, and the Appeal of Neoliberalism No access
- Chapter Four: From Theoretical to Empirical Critiques of Advertising: Have They Deepened Understanding of Democracy and Our Educative Institutions? No access
- Chapter Five: Tocqueville and the Centrifugal/Centripetal Forces Within America: Why (and How Much) Our Practices in Libraries and Classrooms Matter No access
- Chapter Six: A Practical Communitarianism: Educative Institutions, Social Bonds, and Neoliberalism’s Incursions No access
- Chapter Seven: Deliberative Democratic Theory’s Deeper Critique: The Profound Effects of Neoliberalism’s Grammar in Educative Institutions No access
- Chapter Eight: Looking Ahead at Neoliberalism’s Trajectory: The Continuing Interests of Democracy and Educative Institutions—A Conclusion No access
- References No access Pages 191 - 232
- Index No access Pages 233 - 238
- About the Author No access Pages 239 - 239





