'Lazere's book] is heaven-sent and will provide a crucial link in the chain of understanding how conflicts are structured and, most importantly, how they can be rationally addressed - a healthy antidote to the scepticism that has become so pervasive in academic life.' Alan Hausman, Hunter College This innovative book addresses the need for college students to develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills for self-defence in the contentious arena of American civic rhetoric. In a groundbreaking reconception of composition theory, it presents a comprehensive critical perspective on...

Queer theory and the gay rights movement historically have been in tension, with the former critiquing precisely the identity politics on which the latter relies. Yet neither queer theory, in its predominately poststructuralist form, nor the gay rights movement, with its conservative "inclusionary" aspirations, has adequately addressed questions of identity or the political struggles against normativity that mark the lives of so many queer people. Taking on issues of race, sex, gender, and what he calls "the ethics of identity," Fryer offers a new take on queer theory-one rooted in...

With its dream worlds of power, commercialization, and profit making, neoliberalism has ushered in new Gilded Age in which the logic of the market now governs every aspect of media, culture, and social life-from schooling to health care to old age. As the social contract becomes a distant memory, the new "corporate state" distances itself from workers and minority groups, who become more disposable in a new age of uncertainty and manufactured fear. This is the only book to connect the history, ideology, and consequences of neoliberal policies to education and cultural issues that pervade...

With its dream worlds of power, commercialization, and profit making, neoliberalism has ushered in new Gilded Age in which the logic of the market now governs every aspect of media, culture, and social life-from schooling to health care to old age. As the social contract becomes a distant memory, the new "corporate state" distances itself from workers and minority groups, who become more disposable in a new age of uncertainty and manufactured fear. This is the only book to connect the history, ideology, and consequences of neoliberal policies to education and cultural issues that pervade...

After 9/11, liberal professors and students faced an onslaught of attacks on their patriotism and academic freedom. In a lively narrative this book tells the story of attacks on academic freedom in the past five years. It highlights nationally prominent and lesser known cases, drawing upon media reports, university documents, and reports and studies seldom seen by the public. It shows how conservative attacks on higher education distort the facts in order to pursue an assault on liberal ideas. A wave of Web sites and think-tanks urge students to spy on their professors for any sign of...

Queer theory and the gay rights movement historically have been in tension, with the former critiquing precisely the identity politics on which the latter relies. Yet neither queer theory, in its predominately poststructuralist form, nor the gay rights movement, with its conservative "inclusionary" aspirations, has adequately addressed questions of identity or the political struggles against normativity that mark the lives of so many queer people. Taking on issues of race, sex, gender, and what he calls "the ethics of identity," Fryer offers a new take on queer theory-one rooted in...

The French philosopher Michel Foucault is by now the most cited author in the social sciences and humanities. This book discusses one of his central notions that attracted enormous interest inside and outside academia: governmentality. It reconstructs its emergence in Foucault's analytics of power and shows its trajectory in his work. The book explores the theoretical strengths and critical perspectives the concept of governmentality offers in light of contemporary societal and political challenges, including those posed by genetic and reproductive technologies. It also illuminates some...

This brief edition of a groundbreaking textbook addresses the need for college students to develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills for self-defense in the contentious arena of American civic rhetoric. Designed for first-year or more advanced composition and critical thinking courses, it is one-third shorter than the original edition, more affordable for students, and easier for teachers to cover in a semester or quarter. It incorporates up-to-date new readings and analysis of controversies like the growing inequality of wealth in America and the debates in the 2008 presidential...

Demythologizing contemporary higher education has become a priority for committed twenty-first century academics. Today, the economic and political dimensions of universities are among the most hotly and highly contested topics in higher education--particularly among humanities scholars. It is currently not uncommon to find standing-room-only sessions at MLA (Modern Language Association) or ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) meetings for presentations on the corporate university or the fate of tenure, while sessions on traditional literary topics see sparse attendance. Indeed,...

Demythologizing contemporary higher education has become a priority for committed twenty-first century academics. Today, the economic and political dimensions of universities are among the most hotly and highly contested topics in higher education--particularly among humanities scholars. It is currently not uncommon to find standing-room-only sessions at MLA (Modern Language Association) or ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) meetings for presentations on the corporate university or the fate of tenure, while sessions on traditional literary topics see sparse attendance. Indeed,...