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Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Curriculum and Social Inquiry

Special Religious Education: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Cathy Byrne Oct 2013

Special Religious Education: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Cathy Byrne

Dr Cathy Byrne

No abstract provided.


‘Jeesis Is Alive! He Is The King Of Australia’: Segregated Religious Instruction, Child Identity And Exclusion, Cathy Byrne Oct 2013

‘Jeesis Is Alive! He Is The King Of Australia’: Segregated Religious Instruction, Child Identity And Exclusion, Cathy Byrne

Dr Cathy Byrne

Religious categorisation occurs at enrolment in Australian state-run (public) primary schools, with children segregated into religious instruction classes during their first week. Lesson content has no government oversight and, in some schools, options are limited to Christianity. The effect of this categorisation on children’s attitudes to religious diversity is not well researched but the role of religion in public schools is increasingly controversial. Social identity theory (SIT) considers cultural hegemony as a factor in individual identity construction. SIT posits that inter-group bias increases with in-group identification and suggests that categorisation itself is a source of prejudice. This paper explores the …


Keeping Ignorance And Extremism Out Of Public Schools: The Role Of Teachers And Their Unions, Cathy Byrne Oct 2013

Keeping Ignorance And Extremism Out Of Public Schools: The Role Of Teachers And Their Unions, Cathy Byrne

Dr Cathy Byrne

No abstract provided.


A Theory Without A Movement, A Hope Without A Name: The Future Of Marxism In A Post-Marxist World, Justin Schwartz Jun 2013

A Theory Without A Movement, A Hope Without A Name: The Future Of Marxism In A Post-Marxist World, Justin Schwartz

Justin Schwartz

Just as Marx's insights into capitalism have been most strikingly vindicated by the rise of neoliberalism and the near-collapse of the world economy, Marxism as social movement has become bereft of support. Is there any point in people who find Marx's analysis useful in clinging to the term "Marxism" - which Marx himself rejected -- at time when self-identified Marxist organizations and societies have collapsed or renounced the identification, and Marxism own working class constituency rejects the term? I set aside bad reasons to give on "Marxism," such as that the theory is purportedly refuted, that its adoption leads necessarily …