Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s

Historically public schools and public school teachers have been obvious targets for attacks by conservative critics. However, during the post World War II red scare, the rapid emergence of anti-communist sentiment and super-patriotic zeal dramatically increased their vulnerability. In many respect...

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Main Authors: Stuart J. Foster, O. L. Davis, Jr
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UCL Press 2004-06-01
Series:London Review of Education
Online Access:https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/1474846042000229467
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author Stuart J. Foster
O. L. Davis, Jr
author_facet Stuart J. Foster
O. L. Davis, Jr
author_sort Stuart J. Foster
collection DOAJ
description Historically public schools and public school teachers have been obvious targets for attacks by conservative critics. However, during the post World War II red scare, the rapid emergence of anti-communist sentiment and super-patriotic zeal dramatically increased their vulnerability. In many respects the arch conservatism of the 1950s has obvious parallels with political trends in American education this century. As in the 1950s, contemporary pressures by well-organised and powerful conservative groups, 'think tanks', politicians, and economic interests have been particularly successful in influencing educational policy and practice on a wide range of issues. Attention to the educational context of the 1950s, therefore, reasonably offers contemporary educators important historical insights into the ways in which socio-political forces profoundly shape and dramatically influence educational policy and practice.
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spelling doaj.art-20115c1251b74dbb94b604b7970ffbc22023-02-23T11:16:35ZengUCL PressLondon Review of Education1474-84601474-84792004-06-01212313510.1080/1474846042000229467Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950sStuart J. FosterO. L. Davis, JrHistorically public schools and public school teachers have been obvious targets for attacks by conservative critics. However, during the post World War II red scare, the rapid emergence of anti-communist sentiment and super-patriotic zeal dramatically increased their vulnerability. In many respects the arch conservatism of the 1950s has obvious parallels with political trends in American education this century. As in the 1950s, contemporary pressures by well-organised and powerful conservative groups, 'think tanks', politicians, and economic interests have been particularly successful in influencing educational policy and practice on a wide range of issues. Attention to the educational context of the 1950s, therefore, reasonably offers contemporary educators important historical insights into the ways in which socio-political forces profoundly shape and dramatically influence educational policy and practice.https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/1474846042000229467
spellingShingle Stuart J. Foster
O. L. Davis, Jr
Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
London Review of Education
title Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
title_full Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
title_fullStr Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
title_full_unstemmed Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
title_short Conservative Battles for Public Education within America's Culture Wars: poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
title_sort conservative battles for public education within america s culture wars poignant lessons for today from the red scare of the 1950s
url https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/1474846042000229467
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