The Incorporation of Education

First published in 1987, The Incorporation of Education examines developments in education during the difficult economic circumstances of the late 1970s and the early 1980s. The research is undertaken from a perspective that emphasizes personal and social development and provides a basis for both a critical examination of what was happening in education at the time and for developing strategies for achieving more developmental outcomes. By means of a series of case studies, the author examines the operation of educational systems in various countries – the USA, the UK, Australia, Western Europe, Malaysia – stressing the relevance of economic circumstances and demonstrating how interest groups operated in relation to such circumstances. Dr Hunt shows that education, particularly in its capacity as a knowledge-producing institution, was increasingly being incorporated into productive systems of activity, partly as a contributor to increased productivity and competitiveness, and partly as a commercial enterprise in its own right. He identifies issues and questions for both researchers and participants in education and suggests strategies that more developmentally oriented groups could pursue.