In the end then, this is a more personal book than many of my others. It is
personal in a number of ways. The volume is grounded in my attempt to come to
grips with answering a truly tough question and perhaps in my frustration over not
2 Can Education Change Society?
being able to provide a simple answer to whether education can change society.
It is also personal in that it details and analyzes people and examples that I find
especially useful in both asking and answering the question in better ways. It also
is situated in a particular personal journey over a conceptual and political terrain
that involves my search for a more inclusive understanding of what issues count
as important parts of the continuing struggles for social justice and a more
responsive and respectful society. Some of this journey will be evident in this
introductory chapter. Finally, it is personal in that one of the later chapters includes
an account of my own public actions that got me “in trouble,” but ultimately
served to change me and the institutions and students with whom I work.
With this said, let’s begin.