Expanding Curriculum Theory

This book brings together some of the newest work in curriculum studies to explore central questions that swirl inside (and out) of the field: What counts as curriculum research? What procedures are considered legitimate for the production of knowledge? What forms shape the making of explanations? What constitutes proof? It forefronts work by curriculum theorists who are interested in looking at educational problems from a vantage point that questions current models of research - one that suggests adopting "lines of flight" or multiplicities that offer promise to disentangle curriculum theory from traditional research hierarchies and methods-driven dependence on formalities. In Expanding Curriculum Theory: The essays are connected by their shared concern for combining alternative methodologies, such as textual analysis, discourse theory, hermeneutics, and post-structuralism with perspectives on race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Disciplinary boundaries are blurred as curriculum theory is interwoven with cultural studies, political theory, psychoanalysis, dance, technology, and other fields. To assist readers in understanding the various essays, as well as comparing, contrasting, and connecting them with each other, each chapter opens with a "Thinking Beyond" section. The questions posed are designed to make the text engaging and pedagogically friendly. By doing all this within an overall poststructural framework that encourages and demonstrates creativity, multidisciplinarity, and new lines of flight, this volume makes a unique contribution to expanding curriculum theory. It is a stimulating text for students, faculty, and researchers in the field.