Contemporary school knowledge democracy: possible meanings,promising perspectives and necessary prerequisites

ABSTRACT

The basic aim of this paper is to discuss the concept ‘Knowledge Democracy’ (KD) and what it can mean in the school context, its implications on knowledge production and dissemination and on the educational practices. We try to enrich this discussion by presenting action research projects to provide case studies of how thinking about KD can reshape educational practice. We consider that the discussion on KD has to be enriched as the concept seems very promising with good prospects towards school’s democratization. On the other hand, as it is quite new, it can encompass internal contradictions that can cause problems at the level of practice. So, we consider very important any contribution to this discussion not as another theoretical sample of the debate on the ‘politics of knowledge’, but because any improvement at the thinking of the issue can be reflected on school practices. Any challenge to traditional politics of knowledge can lead to a deeper understanding of the world of schooling and to transformations through new discourses and new approaches to teaching and learning in school.     

危险的民主--美国全球民主战略和"大中东"

美国外交战略的主要目标是领导世界、维护其霸权地位。美国以武力或“柔性”施压在中东地区推行美国式的民主而使得民主失去了原有意义,变成“危险的民主”。“适应型民主”对美国与阿拉伯世界都提出了要求,它的实施对中东的民主化进程与世界的和平与安全将是行之有效的。     

司法权的定位和功能

独立、公正的司法权是我们努力的理想目标。司法独立追求正义，但也有其不足，而司法民主的理想模式——陪审制正好弥补这一缺陷。社会现实要求司法权具有能动性，也要求司法权的监督职能、解决纠纷职能及规则治理职能之间互相协调。     

论弗莱雷对话教育中的哲学思想与民主实践思想

弗莱雷(Freire Paulo)提出的对话教育是他的解放教育思想中的核心，我们不能将他的对话简单地理解为一种教学方法。“对话”深刻地反映了弗莱雷的哲学思想和民主实践思想。文章拟从几个方面来论述弗莱雷的对话教育中所包含的独特的思想。     

推进爱国主义与民主化建设的良性互动

美国用导弹袭击我国驻南联盟大使馆的事件具有深远的意识形态意义,这使美国在"人权"话语遮盖下的利益诉求昭然若揭。但这并不意味着我们就应该放弃"人权"话语,延缓民主化建设的进程,本世纪多次发生的救亡与启蒙相冲突的历史不应重演。应该为推进社会主义民主与爱国强国两大社会目标找到最有效的结合点,这就是遏制贪污腐败。推动爱国主义与民主化建设的良性互动,是一个具有根本性意义的理论和实践课题。     

中国近代人学观转向的析评

中国传统儒家将人视为封建伦理大网上的纽结,近代思想家们将这一入学观进行了革新。康有为凸显个人的价值和尊严;谭嗣同对封建制度和纲常伦理进行了无情的批判;严复对人的“能群”格外重视;梁启超的“新民说”的提出标志着中国近代启蒙思潮达到了顶峰;孙中山最终提出了“国民”的概念,完成了近代入学观的转向。     

陶行知民主思想述论

陶行知是一位讴歌民主、追求自由的伟大思想家。他自幼受到儒学的熏陶,深知底层社会的痛苦,具有同情和关心劳苦大众疾苦的情怀。通过基督教中学和教会大学的求学经历,陶行知受到纯正的西学教育,大学毕业论文《共和精义》是系统形成民主思想的标志。美国求学,陶行知亲身体验考察了美国民主,更对民主的学理作了深入的探求。回国后,陶行知无论是从事平民教育,还是乡村建设运动,以及民族救亡运动都贯串了民主的不懈诉求,其思想也与时俱进。五大民主学说奠定了陶行知在中国民主思想史上的地位,其思想有其鲜明的个性特征。     

浅析企业中的参与型民主管理

企业中引入参与型民主管理已逐步成为企业发展的客观需要。文章首先从三个方面分析了企业引入参与型民主管理的必要性,然后从基本主体、基本条件、基本方式等方面阐述了企业中参与型民主管理的基本内容,并在此基础上指出：企业构建参与型民主管理必须从企业权力的改造、企业社会的重构两大方面着手。     

民本与民主的两难选择——评《徘徊于民本与民主之间:〈大公报〉政治改良言论述评(1927-1937)》

《大公报》在中国近代史上影响重大。近年来,以《大公报》为研究对象的资料选编、专著和论文层出不穷。任桐著《徘徊于民本与民主之间》一书,在内容和结构上,新意迭出,卓见纷呈。该书结合当时特定的历史环境,利用多种研究方法,系统阐述了1927年到1937年《大公报》诸多政治改良思潮,对《大公报》的政治言论进行了客观公正的评价。可以说,它的问世,推动了《大公报》的研究。     

Competing priorities in professional development: an Australian study of teacher professional development policy and practice

This paper argues that neoliberal and managerial pressures external to the teaching profession, as well as more progressive and democratic approaches internal to the profession, have simultaneously influenced professional development policy and practice in Australia. In making this case, the paper reviews the nature of the teacher professional development that is supported in federal Australian policies associated with the recently defeated Liberal/National Coalition government (1996–2007) and research into how professional development has been enacted in practice in Australia, during this government's tenure. While acknowledging the significant impact of more neoliberal and managerial approaches and how such policy emphases contribute to the continuation of traditional, systemic/employer provided workshops, the paper also provides evidence of competing, more teacher‐centred approaches.