| "Radical" educational thinkers have suggested that schools in capitalist societies take on the role of ensuring the reproduction of existing social inequalities. This paper, using the work of Jurgen Habermas, demonstrates that the process through which this occurs is different from that presented in a variety of these "radical" theories. From Habermas' work, the central suggestion can be drawn, that contemporary society is characterized by a domination of scientific/technical knowledge over moral/practical knowledge. This domination manifests itself in the institutionalization of social organizations that systematically limit the context for moral/practical insight. One such organization is the school. Consequently, the process of education, which occurs within that organization, comes to be constructed as an instrumentally rational process. This event is illustrated through a Critical analysis of an educational program, purportedly designed to address moral/practical issues. |
