Ruth Rikowski, News Update No. 19
I expect you are wondering what has happened to me, after such a long silence. Well, summer ‘took over’ and my life seemed to be full of so many other things, that there just was not time to do these Updates. Anyway, here we are again, with quite a lot of material in Update No. 19, and there is likely to be quite a lot more material in the next Update as well!
The first four items focus on ‘Marxism and Education’, and includes information about Paula Allman’s latest book ‘On Marx’. This is followed by details about the latest issue of Information for Social Change. Then, there is information about the magazine Axiom, which is another magazine that Graham Coult edits. This magazine is about people and business development in the legal profession. A look at the work of David Gurteen follows, including the David Gurteen Knowledge Cafes and Knowledge Letters. The winter issue of Policy Futures in Education is already out, and details of this are outlined. There is also information about the book ‘Full of Volcanoes: Libraries and Social Commitment’ - I have a chapter in this book. All this and more is included in this Update.
1. MARXISM AND EDUCATION: RENEWING DIALOGUES X
Glenn Rikowski has been organising these very successful seminars at the Institute of Education, University of London (with some help from Tony Green) for 5 years now. Well, after having given this some considerable thought he has decided that it is time to delegate and move on, so this will be the last one that he organises.
Below are details of MERD X.
MARXISM AND EDUCATION:
RENEWING DIALOGUES X
Ten Years of New Labour: Blair’s Educational Legacy and Prospects
A DAY SEMINAR
Wednesday 24th October 2007
9.00 – 5.00, Nunn Hall
School of Education Foundations & Policy Studies
University of London, Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way, London WC1
9.00 – 9.30:
Registration
9.30 – 10.00:
Introduction and Announcements:
Tony Green (University of London, Institute of Education) and
Glenn Rikowski (University of Northampton) – will talk about the new book by Paula Allman, On Marx: An Introduction to the Revolutionary Intellect of Karl Marx
10.00 – 10.30:
Ian Hextall (Roehampton University) & Malcolm Richardson (Middlesex University) Building for Business? New Labour’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ Programme
10.30 – 11.00:
Molly Bellamy (Middlesex University) Changing Narratives of Self in Student Writing Under New Labour
11.00 – 11.15:
BREAK
11.15 – 11.45:
Alpesh Maisuria (University of Wolverhampton) The Torture of Capitalism
11.45 – 12.15: Martin Allen (Alperton Community School) & Patrick Ainley (University of Greenwich) Education Still Make You Fick Under Gordon Brown, Innit?
12.15 – 1.15:
LUNCH
1.15 – 1.45:
Dave Hill (University of Northampton) Critical Pedagogy, Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy and Socialist Education: What Should Socialist/Marxist Teachers Do?
1.45 – 2.15:
Thaker Hafid (Cardiff University) The Privatisation of Education Phase II: Perspectives on state schools and the private sector after ten years of a Labour government
2.15 – 2.30:
BREAK
2.30 – 3.00:
Philip A. Woods (University of Aberdeen) City Academies: Alienation, Economism and Contending Forces for Change
3.00 – 3.30:
Kevin Farnsworth (University of Sheffield) Coming up with the Wrong Answers: Labour’s Corporate-Centred Education Initiatives
3.30 – 4.00:
Terry Wrigley (University of Edinburgh) Curriculum Change in the Blair Years
4.00 – 4.15:
BREAK
4.15 – 5.00:
PLENARY – OPEN DISCUSSION
The Seminar is free, but places are limited
To reserve a place, please contact Glenn Rikowski at: Rikowskigr@aol.com
2. PALGRAVE SERIES ON ‘MARXISM AND EDUCATION’
Leading on from these ‘Marxism and Education: Renewing Dialogue’ seminars, Glenn Rikowski and Tony Green secured a book contract with Palgrave Macmillan. In time, the plan is that there will be a book on each of the seminar themes, with papers from all of the seminars. The edited collections will be published as part of the Series, along with some monographs.
Over the last few years, Glenn Rikowski has been endeavouring to not only revitalise Marxism and Education, but to move it forward. Glenn’s work on Marxist educational theory is particularly significant in this regard. This Series helps to put the whole topic of ‘Marxism and Education’ very much back on the agenda.
3. OFFERS TO ORGANISE FUTURE ‘MARXISM AND EDUCATION’ SEMINARS?
If anyone is interested in continuing the good work and organising future ‘Marxism and Education: Renewing Dialogues’ (MERD) seminars with Tony Green, at the Institute of Education, University of London do please contact Glenn Rikowski at: rikowskigr@aol.com
4. ‘ON MARX: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE REVOLUTIONARY INTELLECT OF KARL MARX’ – BY PAULA ALLMAN AND PAULA ALLMAN’S OTHER WORKS
Paula Allman, a writing colleague and friend of Glenn Rikowski’s has a very good, new book out on Marx, which is the first in a new series that is edited by Professor Michael Peters and Tina (A.C.) Besley entitled ‘Key Critical Thinkers in Education’, Sense Publishers: The Netherlands, 2007 (ISBN 978 90 8790 192 9 (paperback).
As it says on the back cover of the book:
“On Marx introduces readers to the greatest intellect of the last millennium. …Marx provides unparalleled understanding and clarity as well as inspiration for engaging collectively in a type of praxis that holds the promise of both self and socio-economic transformation. We all live in the world of global capitalism, and no one has explained better than Marx how capitalism works, how it develops—now and in the future—and the consequences to be expected from the unfolding of its inner contradictions—from the growth of global poverty, the widening gap between the rich and the poor to the proliferation of endless war and environmental destruction.”
Paula also demonstrates the significance of Glenn Rikowski’s work in her book and how he has not only helped to keep Marxist educational theory alive, but has also developed and continues to develop it further, particularly through his analysis of labour-power. He sees the commodity labour-power as being the weakest link in the rule of capital. She says that after 1989, with the collapse of ‘actually existing socialism/communism’, those educators that still wanted an alternative analysis of education took one of four routes. The first two routes revolved around structuralism and culturalism. Whilst “The third and fourth routes involved a return to Marx, i.e. the entirety of Marx’s thought rather than only the early or the mature Marx.” (p. 57) The fourth approach is her own which focuses on developing critical/revolutionary praxis. Whilst the third approach revolves around the work of Glenn Rikowski. She says that “Rikowski (e.g. 1996; 2003) has undertaken a valuable critique of what he calls the ‘old Marxist theory of education’ and has begun to develop a new Marxist approach to theorising education/training based on analysing labour-power in capitalism. His analyses focus on the ways in which education/training practice and policy serve to meet capitalism’s changing needs with regard to labour-power, capital’s most essential commodity; and he also considers the ways in which capital invades and dehumanises individuals through the processes that constitute them as labour-power” (pp.57-58).
See:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/9087901925/
And: http://www.sensepublishers.com/ (Then go to the ‘Online Book Store’ and type in ‘Paula Allman’ in the search box)
The book is the first book in the series, ‘Key Critical Thinkers in Education’. The series focuses on reviving critical approaches and thinkers in educational theory, including the work of Rousseau, Marx, Gramsci, Dewey, Marcuse, Rogers, Freire, Derrida, Foucault, Said and Butler.
OTHER BOOKS BY PAULA ALLMAN
Paula Allman has 2 other very significant books out on Marx, Education and Critical Pedagogy.
Her first book was Revolutionary Social Transformation: Democratic Hopes, Political Possibilities and Critical Education, published in 1999 (hardback, ISBN 089789667X) and 2001 (paperback) by Bergin & Garvey.
For the paperback version see amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revolutionary-Social-Transformation-Democratic-Possibilities/dp/0897898036/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/202-4988115-3920669?ie=UTF8&qid=1191746729&sr=1-3
The book is summarised there in the following way:
“The author employs both "a language of critique" and "a language of possibility" to argue that the process of social transformation must be inherently educational. Social transformation begins in prefigurative, preparatory projects and continues even after the creation of a new social formation. She also argues that Marx's materialist theory of consciousness - his theory of critical praxis - informs the thinking of both Freire and Gramsci. The ideas of Freire and Gramsci together with Marx's dialectical conceptualization of capitalism provide essential ingredients for the type of critical theory of educational praxis necessary for authentic social transformation. These ingredients also indicate how local transformative efforts can be linked to the global project for social transformation and ultimately the ending of all oppression.”
Glenn Rikowski wrote an amazon.co.uk review of Paula’s first book, but it no longer seems to be there! However, he also wrote another review which was published in Education for Social Justice (2000, Vol.2 No.3, pp.60-64).
On amazon.com, the book is praised in the following way by eminent observers:
“...provides an important addition to the libraries of educators wishing to advance their rudimentary understanding of Marx, Freire, and Gramsci.”–Interchange“...the text may be useful to those not yet familiar with the power, breadth and vision of Marx's analysis.”–Philosophy in Review“...Paula Allman's book is a tour de force. It is rigorous, it provides deep knowledge of Marx, Gramsci, and Freire, and it is inspiring in the use of these three figures' ideas to promote radically democratic social relations.”–The Adult Education Quarterly "This is a well-argued book containing a radical analysis of injustice and how we must organize ourselves collectively to eradicate it. It emphasizes that we need both consciousness and education if we are to work for transformation rather than reform. A thoughtful new presentation of Marxist ideas based upon the author's own experience in education, emphasizing the importance of the struggles that lie ahead." - Right Honorable Tony Benn MP (House of Commons, London)"A welcome and timely antidote to the ludic temporising of much fashionable 'postmodern theorising' about education for social change in today's world....It shows us how to be strategic about our visions and visionary about our strategies." - Ian S. Martin, Senior Lecturer Department of Community Education, University of Edinburgh"What Paula Allman does - systematically, authoritatively and, in my opinion, triumphantly - is to reinsert Marxist theory at the heart of the contemporary debate about radical education. A detailed reading of Marx, Gramsci, and Freire and of their contribution to revolutionary transformation. Allman, as ever, is principled and hopeful." - Jane Thompson National Organisation for Adult Learning (NIACE) UK
At: http://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Social-Transformation-Democratic-Possibilities/dp/0897898036/ref=sr_1_2/105-6800208-2635649?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191747457&sr=1-2
Paula’s second book, Critical Education Against Global Capitalism: Karl Marx and Revolutionary Critical Education, was published in 2001, also by Bergin & Garvey (ISBN 0-89789-743-9). According to Glenn Rikowski, this work constitutes the best book on Marxist educational theory published ever – and he has been studying this field for 30 years! Rather than starting out from Gramsci and Freire (as in her first book) this second book approaches Marxist educational theory and critical education through Karl Marx. There is also a chapter on Paula’s own practice as a critical educator.
At amazon.com, reviews on this book include:
“Allman draws on Marxist theory to analyze dominant or hegemonic forms of pedagogy, as well as to offer suggestions for an alternative vision of "critical revolutionary praxis." Specifically, Allman applies Marx's theory of dialectical contradiction to a Freirean model of pedagogy, which she argues is crucial to challenging the processes and forces of capitalist globalization.”– Educational Theory "Paula Allman's book is beyond doubt one of the most important and possibly THE most important of all contemporary texts in education. It will be a classic. I can't think of an educational text that can match it in importance. Amazing!" - Peter McLaren Professor, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of C California, Los Angeles and author of ‘Che Guevara, Paulo Freire, and The Pedagogy of Revolution’
See: http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Education-Against-Global-Capitalism/dp/0897897439/ref=sr_1_1/105-6800208-2635649?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191747457&sr=1-1
Together, Paula Allman’s three books have established her as the world’s leading writer on Marx and critical education.
5. LATEST ISSUE OF ‘INFORMATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE’ IS NOW OUT – see: http://libr.org/isc/toc.html
‘LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION WORKERS IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS’ EDITED BY TOMI SAMEK AND MARTYN LOWE
Issue 25, Summer 2007
Contents:
Editorial: Libraries and Information Workers in Conflict Situations edited by Martyn Lowe and Toni Samek
Opening poem “It is our time to tread our own path”
by Sara Plaza Moreno
“Memoricide” in the twentieth century by Edgardo Civallero (Feature article)
A probing treatment of military recruitment and misinformation and the responsibility of libraries to low-income youth by Anna Kirkpatrick
An Indonesian case look at information’s role in emergent democracies by Zola V. Maddison
A discussion of where social justice and librarianship meet in the context of international librarianship, activism, and the tough subject of truth commissions by Sergio Chaparro
An annotated list honoring American librarians who have dedicated themselves to human rights and the cause of social justice by Katharine J. Phenix and Kathleen de la Peña McCook
An introduction to Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML), an international solidarity network that provides information, support and a collective space for women whose lives are shaped, conditioned or governed by laws and customs said to derive from Islam by Sara Masters
Cultural property in times of conflict by Richard Saltzburg
Introduction to the Civil Resistance & People Power web based annotated bibliography, covering all aspects of the various nonviolent struggles for independence, social justice, and human rights that have taken place throughout the world since the end of WWII by Martyn Lowe
On truth, power, human rights information, and the Internet as court of last/only resort by Clay Collins (feature article)
Ellie Clement’s and Alison Cullingford’s important storytelling of David Hoggett and the Commonweal Collection, a precious, unique, independent, specialist library devoted to non-violent social change.
6. “A ‘PASSIONATE CALL TO ARMS’” – A REVIEW OF TONI SAMEK’S BOOK ‘LIBRARIANSHIP AND HUMAN RIGHTS’ BY JOHN PATEMAN
John Pateman, a member of Information for Social Change Editorial Board, has written a very positive review of Toni Samek’s book ‘Librarianship and Human Rights: a twenty-first century guide’, Chandos Publishing: Oxford, 2007, which was published in CILIP Update, October 2007, Vol 6, No 10, p. 45. John Pateman says: “Inspiring, affirming, activating, energising, I ran out of superlatives to describe this book. If you are a library worker who wants to change the world, read it today – because tomorrow may already be too late.”
7. AXIOM MAGAZINE EDITED BY GRAHAM COULT
Graham Coult, the editor of Managing Information, now also edits another magazine, which is entitled ‘Axiom’ – see:
http://www.axiom-magazine.co.uk/
‘Axiom’ is a magazine about people and business development in the legal profession.
The magazine includes articles, case studies and interviews from leading experts in a variety of fields, including business development, marketing and PR. It also includes news, a calendar of relevant events and book reviews.
In summer 2006, ‘Axiom’ changed from being a quarterly print to a monthly electronic publication.
‘Axiom’ also has a newsletter, which contains many interesting and useful news items.
The August 2007, Issue 50 newsletter of ‘Axiom’, for example, contained a number of interesting news items such as:
1) ‘Rights For Cohabitees Would Give Children Better Deal’ - DWF Press Release (3 August 2007) – this news item highlights the fact that according to the law firm DWF:“Thousands of children from broken homes could get a better start in life if changes to the rules on co-habitation go ahead”.
2) ‘Employers’ Obligations During Lack Of Water Supply - Advice From Rickerbys’ (27 July 2007) This news item referred to the fact that people in Gloucestershire were without water in the summer, and noted that, according to guidance issued by Rickerbys, under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, there are certain obligations placed on employers in relation to the provision of water and sanitary conveniences at work.
If you would like to be added to the distribution list for the newsletter, email Graham Coult - grahamcoult@blueyonder.co.uk,
with 'Add Recipient Axiom Magazine’
Subscription to Axiom magazine – a single user subscription is £140.00 per 12 months plus VAT. There are also multiple user licensing options.
Axiom magazine and its web site are owned by Ourebi Ltd, Editorial and Publishing Services. There are three directors of Ourebi Ltd, and five shareholders. The Chairman and Managing Director is Graham Coult. editor@axiom-magazine.co.uk
Members of the Ourebi Ltd team are also involved in the production of Managing Information magazine, its web sites, and the web site of Aslib the Association for Information magazine.
8. DAVID GURTEEN KNOWLEDGE CAFES AND KNOWLEDGE LETTERS
David Gurteen is a very high profile and significant figure in the world of Knowledge Management (KM). KM conferences can be very expensive, but David endeavours to make KM available to all interested people, and this is what attracted me. This is surely what KM should partly be about – the free and easy exchange and flow of information and knowledge etc.
As it says on David Gurteen’s website, David Gurteen is an “independent knowledge advisor, educator and coach”. He “helps people to share their knowledge; to learn from each other; to innovate and to work together effectively to make a difference!” David is also the founder of the Gurteen Knowledge Community, which is a “global learning community for people who are committed to making a difference: people who wish to share and learn from each other and who strive to see the world differently, think differently and act differently.”
What has been of particular interest to me has been the Gurteen Knowledge Cafes and Letters.
Gurteen Knowledge Cafes
As it says on the Gurteen website, “Gurteen Knowledge Cafés are learning communities…Their purpose is to bring people together to learn from each other in order that they may make a difference…The outcome for the participants is what they take away as individuals that they can act on and do differently - immediately!”The cafes are held in several cities around the world. Meetings are held regularly and are free. Participants take it in turns to organise events – arranging and facilitating talks and sessions on a wide variety of themes and booking rooms etc.
I have attended many of the knowledge cafes in London, and have found them very enjoyable and stimulating. It has given me the opportunity to speak to a wide variety of people in the KM world.
I expect you are wondering what has happened to me, after such a long silence. Well, summer ‘took over’ and my life seemed to be full of so many other things, that there just was not time to do these Updates. Anyway, here we are again, with quite a lot of material in Update No. 19, and there is likely to be quite a lot more material in the next Update as well!
The first four items focus on ‘Marxism and Education’, and includes information about Paula Allman’s latest book ‘On Marx’. This is followed by details about the latest issue of Information for Social Change. Then, there is information about the magazine Axiom, which is another magazine that Graham Coult edits. This magazine is about people and business development in the legal profession. A look at the work of David Gurteen follows, including the David Gurteen Knowledge Cafes and Knowledge Letters. The winter issue of Policy Futures in Education is already out, and details of this are outlined. There is also information about the book ‘Full of Volcanoes: Libraries and Social Commitment’ - I have a chapter in this book. All this and more is included in this Update.
1. MARXISM AND EDUCATION: RENEWING DIALOGUES X
Glenn Rikowski has been organising these very successful seminars at the Institute of Education, University of London (with some help from Tony Green) for 5 years now. Well, after having given this some considerable thought he has decided that it is time to delegate and move on, so this will be the last one that he organises.
Below are details of MERD X.
MARXISM AND EDUCATION:
RENEWING DIALOGUES X
Ten Years of New Labour: Blair’s Educational Legacy and Prospects
A DAY SEMINAR
Wednesday 24th October 2007
9.00 – 5.00, Nunn Hall
School of Education Foundations & Policy Studies
University of London, Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way, London WC1
9.00 – 9.30:
Registration
9.30 – 10.00:
Introduction and Announcements:
Tony Green (University of London, Institute of Education) and
Glenn Rikowski (University of Northampton) – will talk about the new book by Paula Allman, On Marx: An Introduction to the Revolutionary Intellect of Karl Marx
10.00 – 10.30:
Ian Hextall (Roehampton University) & Malcolm Richardson (Middlesex University) Building for Business? New Labour’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ Programme
10.30 – 11.00:
Molly Bellamy (Middlesex University) Changing Narratives of Self in Student Writing Under New Labour
11.00 – 11.15:
BREAK
11.15 – 11.45:
Alpesh Maisuria (University of Wolverhampton) The Torture of Capitalism
11.45 – 12.15: Martin Allen (Alperton Community School) & Patrick Ainley (University of Greenwich) Education Still Make You Fick Under Gordon Brown, Innit?
12.15 – 1.15:
LUNCH
1.15 – 1.45:
Dave Hill (University of Northampton) Critical Pedagogy, Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy and Socialist Education: What Should Socialist/Marxist Teachers Do?
1.45 – 2.15:
Thaker Hafid (Cardiff University) The Privatisation of Education Phase II: Perspectives on state schools and the private sector after ten years of a Labour government
2.15 – 2.30:
BREAK
2.30 – 3.00:
Philip A. Woods (University of Aberdeen) City Academies: Alienation, Economism and Contending Forces for Change
3.00 – 3.30:
Kevin Farnsworth (University of Sheffield) Coming up with the Wrong Answers: Labour’s Corporate-Centred Education Initiatives
3.30 – 4.00:
Terry Wrigley (University of Edinburgh) Curriculum Change in the Blair Years
4.00 – 4.15:
BREAK
4.15 – 5.00:
PLENARY – OPEN DISCUSSION
The Seminar is free, but places are limited
To reserve a place, please contact Glenn Rikowski at: Rikowskigr@aol.com
2. PALGRAVE SERIES ON ‘MARXISM AND EDUCATION’
Leading on from these ‘Marxism and Education: Renewing Dialogue’ seminars, Glenn Rikowski and Tony Green secured a book contract with Palgrave Macmillan. In time, the plan is that there will be a book on each of the seminar themes, with papers from all of the seminars. The edited collections will be published as part of the Series, along with some monographs.
Over the last few years, Glenn Rikowski has been endeavouring to not only revitalise Marxism and Education, but to move it forward. Glenn’s work on Marxist educational theory is particularly significant in this regard. This Series helps to put the whole topic of ‘Marxism and Education’ very much back on the agenda.
3. OFFERS TO ORGANISE FUTURE ‘MARXISM AND EDUCATION’ SEMINARS?
If anyone is interested in continuing the good work and organising future ‘Marxism and Education: Renewing Dialogues’ (MERD) seminars with Tony Green, at the Institute of Education, University of London do please contact Glenn Rikowski at: rikowskigr@aol.com
4. ‘ON MARX: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE REVOLUTIONARY INTELLECT OF KARL MARX’ – BY PAULA ALLMAN AND PAULA ALLMAN’S OTHER WORKS
Paula Allman, a writing colleague and friend of Glenn Rikowski’s has a very good, new book out on Marx, which is the first in a new series that is edited by Professor Michael Peters and Tina (A.C.) Besley entitled ‘Key Critical Thinkers in Education’, Sense Publishers: The Netherlands, 2007 (ISBN 978 90 8790 192 9 (paperback).
As it says on the back cover of the book:
“On Marx introduces readers to the greatest intellect of the last millennium. …Marx provides unparalleled understanding and clarity as well as inspiration for engaging collectively in a type of praxis that holds the promise of both self and socio-economic transformation. We all live in the world of global capitalism, and no one has explained better than Marx how capitalism works, how it develops—now and in the future—and the consequences to be expected from the unfolding of its inner contradictions—from the growth of global poverty, the widening gap between the rich and the poor to the proliferation of endless war and environmental destruction.”
Paula also demonstrates the significance of Glenn Rikowski’s work in her book and how he has not only helped to keep Marxist educational theory alive, but has also developed and continues to develop it further, particularly through his analysis of labour-power. He sees the commodity labour-power as being the weakest link in the rule of capital. She says that after 1989, with the collapse of ‘actually existing socialism/communism’, those educators that still wanted an alternative analysis of education took one of four routes. The first two routes revolved around structuralism and culturalism. Whilst “The third and fourth routes involved a return to Marx, i.e. the entirety of Marx’s thought rather than only the early or the mature Marx.” (p. 57) The fourth approach is her own which focuses on developing critical/revolutionary praxis. Whilst the third approach revolves around the work of Glenn Rikowski. She says that “Rikowski (e.g. 1996; 2003) has undertaken a valuable critique of what he calls the ‘old Marxist theory of education’ and has begun to develop a new Marxist approach to theorising education/training based on analysing labour-power in capitalism. His analyses focus on the ways in which education/training practice and policy serve to meet capitalism’s changing needs with regard to labour-power, capital’s most essential commodity; and he also considers the ways in which capital invades and dehumanises individuals through the processes that constitute them as labour-power” (pp.57-58).
See:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/9087901925/
And: http://www.sensepublishers.com/ (Then go to the ‘Online Book Store’ and type in ‘Paula Allman’ in the search box)
The book is the first book in the series, ‘Key Critical Thinkers in Education’. The series focuses on reviving critical approaches and thinkers in educational theory, including the work of Rousseau, Marx, Gramsci, Dewey, Marcuse, Rogers, Freire, Derrida, Foucault, Said and Butler.
OTHER BOOKS BY PAULA ALLMAN
Paula Allman has 2 other very significant books out on Marx, Education and Critical Pedagogy.
Her first book was Revolutionary Social Transformation: Democratic Hopes, Political Possibilities and Critical Education, published in 1999 (hardback, ISBN 089789667X) and 2001 (paperback) by Bergin & Garvey.
For the paperback version see amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revolutionary-Social-Transformation-Democratic-Possibilities/dp/0897898036/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/202-4988115-3920669?ie=UTF8&qid=1191746729&sr=1-3
The book is summarised there in the following way:
“The author employs both "a language of critique" and "a language of possibility" to argue that the process of social transformation must be inherently educational. Social transformation begins in prefigurative, preparatory projects and continues even after the creation of a new social formation. She also argues that Marx's materialist theory of consciousness - his theory of critical praxis - informs the thinking of both Freire and Gramsci. The ideas of Freire and Gramsci together with Marx's dialectical conceptualization of capitalism provide essential ingredients for the type of critical theory of educational praxis necessary for authentic social transformation. These ingredients also indicate how local transformative efforts can be linked to the global project for social transformation and ultimately the ending of all oppression.”
Glenn Rikowski wrote an amazon.co.uk review of Paula’s first book, but it no longer seems to be there! However, he also wrote another review which was published in Education for Social Justice (2000, Vol.2 No.3, pp.60-64).
On amazon.com, the book is praised in the following way by eminent observers:
“...provides an important addition to the libraries of educators wishing to advance their rudimentary understanding of Marx, Freire, and Gramsci.”–Interchange“...the text may be useful to those not yet familiar with the power, breadth and vision of Marx's analysis.”–Philosophy in Review“...Paula Allman's book is a tour de force. It is rigorous, it provides deep knowledge of Marx, Gramsci, and Freire, and it is inspiring in the use of these three figures' ideas to promote radically democratic social relations.”–The Adult Education Quarterly "This is a well-argued book containing a radical analysis of injustice and how we must organize ourselves collectively to eradicate it. It emphasizes that we need both consciousness and education if we are to work for transformation rather than reform. A thoughtful new presentation of Marxist ideas based upon the author's own experience in education, emphasizing the importance of the struggles that lie ahead." - Right Honorable Tony Benn MP (House of Commons, London)"A welcome and timely antidote to the ludic temporising of much fashionable 'postmodern theorising' about education for social change in today's world....It shows us how to be strategic about our visions and visionary about our strategies." - Ian S. Martin, Senior Lecturer Department of Community Education, University of Edinburgh"What Paula Allman does - systematically, authoritatively and, in my opinion, triumphantly - is to reinsert Marxist theory at the heart of the contemporary debate about radical education. A detailed reading of Marx, Gramsci, and Freire and of their contribution to revolutionary transformation. Allman, as ever, is principled and hopeful." - Jane Thompson National Organisation for Adult Learning (NIACE) UK
At: http://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Social-Transformation-Democratic-Possibilities/dp/0897898036/ref=sr_1_2/105-6800208-2635649?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191747457&sr=1-2
Paula’s second book, Critical Education Against Global Capitalism: Karl Marx and Revolutionary Critical Education, was published in 2001, also by Bergin & Garvey (ISBN 0-89789-743-9). According to Glenn Rikowski, this work constitutes the best book on Marxist educational theory published ever – and he has been studying this field for 30 years! Rather than starting out from Gramsci and Freire (as in her first book) this second book approaches Marxist educational theory and critical education through Karl Marx. There is also a chapter on Paula’s own practice as a critical educator.
At amazon.com, reviews on this book include:
“Allman draws on Marxist theory to analyze dominant or hegemonic forms of pedagogy, as well as to offer suggestions for an alternative vision of "critical revolutionary praxis." Specifically, Allman applies Marx's theory of dialectical contradiction to a Freirean model of pedagogy, which she argues is crucial to challenging the processes and forces of capitalist globalization.”– Educational Theory "Paula Allman's book is beyond doubt one of the most important and possibly THE most important of all contemporary texts in education. It will be a classic. I can't think of an educational text that can match it in importance. Amazing!" - Peter McLaren Professor, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of C California, Los Angeles and author of ‘Che Guevara, Paulo Freire, and The Pedagogy of Revolution’
See: http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Education-Against-Global-Capitalism/dp/0897897439/ref=sr_1_1/105-6800208-2635649?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191747457&sr=1-1
Together, Paula Allman’s three books have established her as the world’s leading writer on Marx and critical education.
5. LATEST ISSUE OF ‘INFORMATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE’ IS NOW OUT – see: http://libr.org/isc/toc.html
‘LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION WORKERS IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS’ EDITED BY TOMI SAMEK AND MARTYN LOWE
Issue 25, Summer 2007
Contents:
Editorial: Libraries and Information Workers in Conflict Situations edited by Martyn Lowe and Toni Samek
Opening poem “It is our time to tread our own path”
by Sara Plaza Moreno
“Memoricide” in the twentieth century by Edgardo Civallero (Feature article)
A probing treatment of military recruitment and misinformation and the responsibility of libraries to low-income youth by Anna Kirkpatrick
An Indonesian case look at information’s role in emergent democracies by Zola V. Maddison
A discussion of where social justice and librarianship meet in the context of international librarianship, activism, and the tough subject of truth commissions by Sergio Chaparro
An annotated list honoring American librarians who have dedicated themselves to human rights and the cause of social justice by Katharine J. Phenix and Kathleen de la Peña McCook
An introduction to Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML), an international solidarity network that provides information, support and a collective space for women whose lives are shaped, conditioned or governed by laws and customs said to derive from Islam by Sara Masters
Cultural property in times of conflict by Richard Saltzburg
Introduction to the Civil Resistance & People Power web based annotated bibliography, covering all aspects of the various nonviolent struggles for independence, social justice, and human rights that have taken place throughout the world since the end of WWII by Martyn Lowe
On truth, power, human rights information, and the Internet as court of last/only resort by Clay Collins (feature article)
Ellie Clement’s and Alison Cullingford’s important storytelling of David Hoggett and the Commonweal Collection, a precious, unique, independent, specialist library devoted to non-violent social change.
6. “A ‘PASSIONATE CALL TO ARMS’” – A REVIEW OF TONI SAMEK’S BOOK ‘LIBRARIANSHIP AND HUMAN RIGHTS’ BY JOHN PATEMAN
John Pateman, a member of Information for Social Change Editorial Board, has written a very positive review of Toni Samek’s book ‘Librarianship and Human Rights: a twenty-first century guide’, Chandos Publishing: Oxford, 2007, which was published in CILIP Update, October 2007, Vol 6, No 10, p. 45. John Pateman says: “Inspiring, affirming, activating, energising, I ran out of superlatives to describe this book. If you are a library worker who wants to change the world, read it today – because tomorrow may already be too late.”
7. AXIOM MAGAZINE EDITED BY GRAHAM COULT
Graham Coult, the editor of Managing Information, now also edits another magazine, which is entitled ‘Axiom’ – see:
http://www.axiom-magazine.co.uk/
‘Axiom’ is a magazine about people and business development in the legal profession.
The magazine includes articles, case studies and interviews from leading experts in a variety of fields, including business development, marketing and PR. It also includes news, a calendar of relevant events and book reviews.
In summer 2006, ‘Axiom’ changed from being a quarterly print to a monthly electronic publication.
‘Axiom’ also has a newsletter, which contains many interesting and useful news items.
The August 2007, Issue 50 newsletter of ‘Axiom’, for example, contained a number of interesting news items such as:
1) ‘Rights For Cohabitees Would Give Children Better Deal’ - DWF Press Release (3 August 2007) – this news item highlights the fact that according to the law firm DWF:“Thousands of children from broken homes could get a better start in life if changes to the rules on co-habitation go ahead”.
2) ‘Employers’ Obligations During Lack Of Water Supply - Advice From Rickerbys’ (27 July 2007) This news item referred to the fact that people in Gloucestershire were without water in the summer, and noted that, according to guidance issued by Rickerbys, under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, there are certain obligations placed on employers in relation to the provision of water and sanitary conveniences at work.
If you would like to be added to the distribution list for the newsletter, email Graham Coult - grahamcoult@blueyonder.co.uk,
with 'Add Recipient Axiom Magazine’
Subscription to Axiom magazine – a single user subscription is £140.00 per 12 months plus VAT. There are also multiple user licensing options.
Axiom magazine and its web site are owned by Ourebi Ltd, Editorial and Publishing Services. There are three directors of Ourebi Ltd, and five shareholders. The Chairman and Managing Director is Graham Coult. editor@axiom-magazine.co.uk
Members of the Ourebi Ltd team are also involved in the production of Managing Information magazine, its web sites, and the web site of Aslib the Association for Information magazine.
8. DAVID GURTEEN KNOWLEDGE CAFES AND KNOWLEDGE LETTERS
David Gurteen is a very high profile and significant figure in the world of Knowledge Management (KM). KM conferences can be very expensive, but David endeavours to make KM available to all interested people, and this is what attracted me. This is surely what KM should partly be about – the free and easy exchange and flow of information and knowledge etc.
As it says on David Gurteen’s website, David Gurteen is an “independent knowledge advisor, educator and coach”. He “helps people to share their knowledge; to learn from each other; to innovate and to work together effectively to make a difference!” David is also the founder of the Gurteen Knowledge Community, which is a “global learning community for people who are committed to making a difference: people who wish to share and learn from each other and who strive to see the world differently, think differently and act differently.”
What has been of particular interest to me has been the Gurteen Knowledge Cafes and Letters.
Gurteen Knowledge Cafes
As it says on the Gurteen website, “Gurteen Knowledge Cafés are learning communities…Their purpose is to bring people together to learn from each other in order that they may make a difference…The outcome for the participants is what they take away as individuals that they can act on and do differently - immediately!”The cafes are held in several cities around the world. Meetings are held regularly and are free. Participants take it in turns to organise events – arranging and facilitating talks and sessions on a wide variety of themes and booking rooms etc.
I have attended many of the knowledge cafes in London, and have found them very enjoyable and stimulating. It has given me the opportunity to speak to a wide variety of people in the KM world.
I also organised and spoke at a Knowledge Café at London South Bank University on the topic of ‘What is the meaning of Value?’ - see
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/X0008BE66/
Whereas the Gurteen Knowledge-Letter is a free monthly e-mail based KM newsletter for knowledge workers. Any interested people can subscribe to it. It contains a lot of very useful information, on areas such as KM, learning, creativity and the Internet. The knowledge-letter is sponsored by the Knowledge Management Forum of Henley Management College, Oxfordshire, England.
The September 2007, Issue 87 Gurteen newsletter, included this interesting news item, for example:
Knowledge Metaphors can mislead usRefers to Daan Andriessen giving a keynote talk in Barcelona, Spain, at the 8th European Conference on Knowledge Management, on 6-7 September 2007. The talk was entitled ‘Knowledge As Love; How Metaphors Direct Our Efforts to Manage Knowledge in organizations’.David Gurteen said that in the talk Daan:
“…made the point that we use metaphors to make sense of the world and the terms ‘knowledge management’ and ‘intellectual capital’ were such metaphors. When we speak of ‘knowledge management’ we use a ‘resource’ metaphor to help describe knowledge and when we use the term ‘intellectual capital’ we use a ‘capital’ metaphor. Daan explained that metaphors are indispensable for conceptualization and understanding. However, we need to be aware that metaphors highlight certain things and conceal others. For example, the ‘knowledge as a resource’ metaphor ignores the fact that knowledge is subjective and difficult to elicit.”
David found it fascinating, so following on from the conference he conducted some video mini-interviews with some of the conference participants including Daan and asked them "What is your favorite knowledge metaphor". He also ran a Knowledge Cafe on the theme.
The knowledge newsletter can be copied, reprinted or forwarded in all or part to friends, colleagues or customers, so long as any use is not for resale or profit and David Gurteen is attributed.
Knowledge Metaphors can mislead usRefers to Daan Andriessen giving a keynote talk in Barcelona, Spain, at the 8th European Conference on Knowledge Management, on 6-7 September 2007. The talk was entitled ‘Knowledge As Love; How Metaphors Direct Our Efforts to Manage Knowledge in organizations’.David Gurteen said that in the talk Daan:
“…made the point that we use metaphors to make sense of the world and the terms ‘knowledge management’ and ‘intellectual capital’ were such metaphors. When we speak of ‘knowledge management’ we use a ‘resource’ metaphor to help describe knowledge and when we use the term ‘intellectual capital’ we use a ‘capital’ metaphor. Daan explained that metaphors are indispensable for conceptualization and understanding. However, we need to be aware that metaphors highlight certain things and conceal others. For example, the ‘knowledge as a resource’ metaphor ignores the fact that knowledge is subjective and difficult to elicit.”
David found it fascinating, so following on from the conference he conducted some video mini-interviews with some of the conference participants including Daan and asked them "What is your favorite knowledge metaphor". He also ran a Knowledge Cafe on the theme.
The knowledge newsletter can be copied, reprinted or forwarded in all or part to friends, colleagues or customers, so long as any use is not for resale or profit and David Gurteen is attributed.
David Gurteen also has a section on his website for articles and publications, and he includes information about various KM books that have been published. David kindly added a link to the book on Knowledge Management that I have edited - "Knowledge Management - Social, Cultural and Theoretical Perspectives” - see
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/S592025/
(further information about the book is in my signature below)
Additional information about David Gurteen and the work that he undertakes can be found at:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/about-dg
9. ‘SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY AND POLITICAL OBLIGATIONS’ BY GREGORY RIKOWSKI
This essay is now available on our website. It looks at the philosophers Thomas Hobbs (1651) and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1762) and how their views on how social contract theories account for our political obligations. See:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Social%20Contract%20Theory%20and%20Political%20Obligations
10. WINTER 2007 ISSUE OF POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION IS ALREADY OUT!
Policy Futures in Education has received such a large number of high-quality articles that it has resulted in the early publication of the winter 2007 issue! It is available at: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/5/issue5_4.asp
POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION (ISSN 1478-2103)Volume 5 Number 4 2007
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/S592025/
(further information about the book is in my signature below)
Additional information about David Gurteen and the work that he undertakes can be found at:
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/about-dg
9. ‘SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY AND POLITICAL OBLIGATIONS’ BY GREGORY RIKOWSKI
This essay is now available on our website. It looks at the philosophers Thomas Hobbs (1651) and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1762) and how their views on how social contract theories account for our political obligations. See:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Social%20Contract%20Theory%20and%20Political%20Obligations
10. WINTER 2007 ISSUE OF POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION IS ALREADY OUT!
Policy Futures in Education has received such a large number of high-quality articles that it has resulted in the early publication of the winter 2007 issue! It is available at: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/5/issue5_4.asp
POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION (ISSN 1478-2103)Volume 5 Number 4 2007
JOSEPH AGASSI & RONALD SWARTZ
Educating Elites in Democratic Societies: a dialogue
Educating Elites in Democratic Societies: a dialogue
RICHARD KAHN & DOUGLAS KELLNER
Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich: technology, politics and the reconstruction of education
Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich: technology, politics and the reconstruction of education
ANDREA LIESNER
Governmentality, European Politics and the Neo-liberal Reconstruction of German Universities
Governmentality, European Politics and the Neo-liberal Reconstruction of German Universities
COSTAS AGGELAKOS
The Cross-thematic Approach and the 'New' Curricula of Greek Compulsory Education: review of an incompatible relationship
The Cross-thematic Approach and the 'New' Curricula of Greek Compulsory Education: review of an incompatible relationship
INGRID HENNING LOEB
Development and Change in Swedish Municipal Adult Education: occupational life history studies and four genealogies of context
Development and Change in Swedish Municipal Adult Education: occupational life history studies and four genealogies of context
TOMAS HELLSTRÖM
The Varieties of University Entrepreneurialism: thematic patterns and ambiguities in Swedish university strategies
The Varieties of University Entrepreneurialism: thematic patterns and ambiguities in Swedish university strategies
TIMOTHY MURPHY
Jack Mezirow and Perspective Transformation: toward an understanding of Irish educational policy within a European framework
Jack Mezirow and Perspective Transformation: toward an understanding of Irish educational policy within a European framework
PAUL THEOBALD & JIM KNOTWELL
A Communitarian Critique of the Warfare State: implications for the twenty-first-century university
A Communitarian Critique of the Warfare State: implications for the twenty-first-century university
GRAHAM E. HIGGS & JOHN BUDD
Toward an Authentic Ethos for Online Higher Education
Toward an Authentic Ethos for Online Higher Education
AYBEK GOREY
Inequity in the Australian Education System
Inequity in the Australian Education System
ANA CANEN
Multiculturalism and a Research Perspective in Initial Teacher Education: possible dialogues
Multiculturalism and a Research Perspective in Initial Teacher Education: possible dialogues
LINDA J. GRAHAM
Towards Equity in the Futures Market: curriculum as a condition of access
Towards Equity in the Futures Market: curriculum as a condition of access
ANTHONY GREEN
Neoconservatism English-style: back to the future with remoralizing voices for education?
Neoconservatism English-style: back to the future with remoralizing voices for education?
KENT DEN HEYER & ANDREW PIFEL
Extending the Responsibilities for Schools beyond the School DoorBook
Extending the Responsibilities for Schools beyond the School DoorBook
Reviews
Declining by Degrees: higher education at risk (Richard H. Hersh & John Merrow, Eds), reviewed by Casey E. George-Jackson
Inventing the Modern Self and John Dewey: modernities and the traveling of pragmatism in education (Thomas S. Popkewitz, Ed.), reviewed by Seamus Mulryan
Access to the full texts of current articles is restricted to those who have a Personal subscription, or those whose institution has a Library subscription.
However, all articles become free-to-view 18 months after publication.
For all editorial matters, including articles offered for publication, please contact Professor Michael A. Peters (mpet001@uiuc.edu).
Any concerns re a subscription, or difficulty in gaining access to the journal articles, please contact the publishers at support@symposium-journals.co.uk
11. GLENN RIKOWSKI’S TALK AT THE “MIGRATING UNIVERSITY: FROM GOLDSMITHS TO GATWICK” CONFERENCE AT GOLDSMITHS COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
This was a conference held at Goldsmiths College, University of London on
14 -15th September 2007. Glenn Rikowski spoke in the Panel 2 session on “The Challenge of Critical Pedagogy” on Friday 14th at 2.00-4.00.
Glenn Rikowski produced a paper especially for the conference, Critical Pedagogy and the Constitution of Capitalist Society, which can be viewed at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Critical%20Pedagogy%20and%20Capitalism
12. GLENN RIKOWSKI TALKING AT UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON
Glenn Rikowski will also be talking at the Education for Freedom Conference organised by the Education Not For Sale Network (formerly the Campaign for Free Education) on Sunday 21st October 2007 at the University of East London Docklands Campus. The conference starts at 11.30 (registration) and after keynote talks from Professor Dave Hill and Dr. Glenn Rikowski there will be workshops on the following: radical visions for education; education, alienation and the environment; students in struggle internationally (Iran, Zimbabwe); sex education; and the case for free education.
Glenn’s talk will be on Education and the Realm of Freedom.
For further details, contact: robsivapalan@hotmail.com
13. CERTIFICATE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION (CLTHE)
I suddenly find myself studying for the ‘Certificate of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education’ (CLTHE) at London South Bank University. The ‘powers that be’ have deemed that it is something that might be beneficial to me! (although I have now been teaching in higher education for 6 and a half years, but so be it). A portfolio of work has to be submitted, which includes items such as a response to a diversity scenario, a book review and a critique of one of the university’s policies
14. WORDS ON WISDOM: PROFESSOR BRUCE LLOYD’S MASTER CLASS
Professor Bruce Lloyd led a discussion on ‘Leadership and Wisdom’ on the 1st March 2007, in the Abbey Conference Centre. Bruce Lloyd’s talk covered issues such as, what is wisdom, why is it important for leadership, how is it learnt and why is it ignored?
The event was attended by Faculty Alumni, Staff and members of our ‘Friends’ organisation at London South Bank University and there was an interesting discussion and informal networking.
The event was part of the master-class series set up for the Friends of the Faculty.
This was reported in ‘BCIM (Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management) Enterprise Newsletter’ (of London South Bank University)
Bruce Lloyd has a chapter on Knowledge Management and Wisdom in the Knowledge Management book that I edited in 2007 (further details in my signature below).
For all editorial matters, including articles offered for publication, please contact Professor Michael A. Peters (mpet001@uiuc.edu).
Any concerns re a subscription, or difficulty in gaining access to the journal articles, please contact the publishers at support@symposium-journals.co.uk
11. GLENN RIKOWSKI’S TALK AT THE “MIGRATING UNIVERSITY: FROM GOLDSMITHS TO GATWICK” CONFERENCE AT GOLDSMITHS COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
This was a conference held at Goldsmiths College, University of London on
14 -15th September 2007. Glenn Rikowski spoke in the Panel 2 session on “The Challenge of Critical Pedagogy” on Friday 14th at 2.00-4.00.
Glenn Rikowski produced a paper especially for the conference, Critical Pedagogy and the Constitution of Capitalist Society, which can be viewed at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Critical%20Pedagogy%20and%20Capitalism
12. GLENN RIKOWSKI TALKING AT UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON
Glenn Rikowski will also be talking at the Education for Freedom Conference organised by the Education Not For Sale Network (formerly the Campaign for Free Education) on Sunday 21st October 2007 at the University of East London Docklands Campus. The conference starts at 11.30 (registration) and after keynote talks from Professor Dave Hill and Dr. Glenn Rikowski there will be workshops on the following: radical visions for education; education, alienation and the environment; students in struggle internationally (Iran, Zimbabwe); sex education; and the case for free education.
Glenn’s talk will be on Education and the Realm of Freedom.
For further details, contact: robsivapalan@hotmail.com
13. CERTIFICATE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION (CLTHE)
I suddenly find myself studying for the ‘Certificate of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education’ (CLTHE) at London South Bank University. The ‘powers that be’ have deemed that it is something that might be beneficial to me! (although I have now been teaching in higher education for 6 and a half years, but so be it). A portfolio of work has to be submitted, which includes items such as a response to a diversity scenario, a book review and a critique of one of the university’s policies
14. WORDS ON WISDOM: PROFESSOR BRUCE LLOYD’S MASTER CLASS
Professor Bruce Lloyd led a discussion on ‘Leadership and Wisdom’ on the 1st March 2007, in the Abbey Conference Centre. Bruce Lloyd’s talk covered issues such as, what is wisdom, why is it important for leadership, how is it learnt and why is it ignored?
The event was attended by Faculty Alumni, Staff and members of our ‘Friends’ organisation at London South Bank University and there was an interesting discussion and informal networking.
The event was part of the master-class series set up for the Friends of the Faculty.
This was reported in ‘BCIM (Faculty of Business, Computing and Information Management) Enterprise Newsletter’ (of London South Bank University)
Bruce Lloyd has a chapter on Knowledge Management and Wisdom in the Knowledge Management book that I edited in 2007 (further details in my signature below).
15. ‘DIGITAL LIBRARIES’ – NOW IN PRODUCTION
The special issue for ‘Policy Futures in Education’ that I am co-editing with Isaac Hunter Dunlap on the topic of ‘Digital Libraries’ is now in production. It will be published in the first quarter of 2008. The contents can be viewed at: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/6/issue6_1.asp
16. ‘FULL OF VOLCANOES: LIBRARIES AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT’ (DE VOLCANES ILENA: BIBLIOTECA Y COMPROMISO SOCIAL)
CO-ORDINATED BY JAVIER GIMENO PERELLÓ, PEDRO LÓPEZ LÓPEZ AND MARIA JESŰS MORILLO CALERO, PUBLISHED BY EDICIONES TREA, SPAIN, 2007, ISBN 978-84-9704-317-5
http://www.trea.es/
I had a lovely surprise in the post this month – 4 copies of this book, ‘Full of Volcanoes’!! This book includes a chapter by me on ‘Globalisation, Libraries, Information and Social Commitment’. My chapter summarises some of the main points made in my book ‘Globalisation, Information and Libraries’ (further details in my signature below). This is the first time that my work has been published in a book in another language (in Spanish), so all quite exciting! My work has been published and promoted in various Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Norwegian, Finish and Icelandic) in different journals, but this is a first, in a book! The hope now is that, at some point, the whole book can be translated and published in English.
The title of the book comes from a poem by the Chilean poet Pabló Neruda:
“I shall not die
I step out now
In this day full of volcanoes
Towards the multitude
Towards life”
17. A MEMBER OF ‘SECOND CHANCE’ CHOIR
Here is something different – I have just joined a choir. It is called ‘Second Chance Choir’. This led on from the Wanstead House event that I participated in, in the summer. The person who ran that project, Virginia Rushton (Founder and Director of Operahouse Music Projects), also runs this choir, and now I am enthusiastically singing along with them all. One very exciting plan is for us to sing Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ along with other choirs at the Royal Albert Hall, next May.
Best wishes
Ruth
7th October 2007
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