Foucault, Power, and Education

Foucault, Power, and Educationinvites internationally renowned scholar Stephen J. Ball to reflect on the importance and influence of Foucault on his work in educational policy. By focusing on some of the ways Foucault has been placed in relation to educational questions or questions about education, Ball highlights the relationships between Foucault's concepts and methods, and educational research and analysis. An introductory chapter offers a brief explanation of some of Foucault's key concerns, and some of his primary concepts and methods as they pertain to education in particular. Additional chapters explore a particular area of application to contemporary educational issues and problems in which BalI himself has sought to use and apply Foucault's ideas. Deliberately tentative and open-ended, Ball's analysis identifies problems that need to be subjected to further enquiry and the pitfalls involved in taking Foucault's concepts seriously. In this intensely personal and reflective introduction, Ball offers an interpretation of his Foucault. That is, his reading and use of the Foucauldian toolbox to address some practical issues in the world of education. Ideal for courses in education policy and education studies, this valuable teaching resource is essential reading for any education scholar looking for a starting point into Foucault and working with Foucauldian ideas.