The Conscience of a Progressive

by Steven Klees

Overview

'Prof. Klees' book is a must read for anyone interested in politics, economics, and education today. During the latter part of the 20th century, in far too many countries we have witnessed an unconscionable and steady shift to the right by liberals and social democratic parties resulting in a neoliberal consensus. Prof Klees' critique from a progressive perspective is extremely timely as it contributes to a necessary strategic reflection on how to rebuild a truly progressive movement.' General Secretary, Education International, the global teachers' union

The Conscience of a Progressive begins where Senator Barry Goldwater's The Conscience of a Conservative (1960) and Paul Krugman's The Conscience of a Liberal (2007) leave off. Prof. Klees draws on 45 years of work around the world as an economist and international educator to paint a detailed picture of conservative, liberal, and progressive views on a wide range of current social issues. He takes an in-depth look at his specializations: education, economics, poverty and inequality, international development, and capitalism. He examines major social problems like health care, the climate crisis, and war. Throughout the book, Prof. Klees tries to give a fair and careful depiction of how conservatives and liberals see these issues, whilst focusing on critiques by progressives, and on the alternatives they offer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789044966
Publisher:	Collective Ink
Publication date:	11/01/2020
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Steven Klees is a professor of International Education Policy at the University of Maryland who specializes in education, economics, and international development. He has previously taught at Cornell University, Stanford University, Florida State University, and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. He has a Ph.D. from Stanford University. His work examines the political economy of education and development. He lives in Silver Spring, MD, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xii

1 Introduction 1

2 Education in the US 16

3 Education Internationally 30

4 Economics 41

5 Poverty and Inequality 52

6 International Development 60

7 Capitalism 79

8 Implications for Education 94

9 Intersections 100

Gender 101

Race and Ethnicity 105

LGBT Issues 109

Disability 113

10 Other Major Issues 118

Health Care 118

The Environment 123

War and Violence 128

11 A Note on Research 135

12 Conclusions 141

About the Author 159

Notes 160

References 171

Index 187