There is presumably a trend toward depoliticization of character education as character educators claim to teach universal values and engage in community-based decision making. However, as Tianlong Yu argues in this book, under the umbrella of universality, character educators define virtues based on neo-conservative ideologies. In the name of community, they trivialize issues of gender, race, class, and culture and promote the interests of dominant social groups. In the Name of Morality: Character Education and Political Control traces the historical origins of character education and stimulates readers to look critically into the social interests, power relations, and political agendas that have shaped the character education movement in the United States. This challenging, yet engaging, book reaffirms the crucial relationship between moral education and politics. It is a must-read for anyone who is concerned about students' character building and moral education in schools.

Autorentext

The Author: Tianlong Yu is Assistant Professor of Education at D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York. He received his Ed.D. in educational theory and practice from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Before coming to the United States, Tianlong Yu was an educational researcher in Beijing, China.

Zusammenfassung
"Incisive, comprehensive, definitive, this book makes clear that, like its Chinese counterpart, 'moral education' in the U.S. is about absolutism, authoritarianism and dogmatism, not morality or education. Yu's impressive cross-cultural and historical analysis demonstrates that any 'moral decline' in the U.S. is located on the political right." (William F. Pinar, St. Bernard Parish Alumni Endowed Professor, Louisiana State University)
"'In the Name of Morality: Character Education and Political Control' could not be a more timely or important book. Here, Tianlong Yu excavates and critiques the political agendas that gird the growing character education movement. In particular, Yu exposes the often bipartisan effort to foreground individual morality over and above a sustained and thoughtful reflection on the social and cultural contexts in which and through which young people live their lives today. Yu's scope of vision, wide range of source material, clear writing, and continual willingness to challenge the seemingly commonsense notions about morality make this an ideal text for undergraduate and graduate students alike. I loved this book!" (Greg Dimitriadis, Assistant Professor, Social Foundations of Education, University at Buffalo)