The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theory in Comparative and International Education

• In Event: The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theory in Comparative and International Education

Proposal

This book offers a practical and approachable overview of central theories that have been applied in research and practice in comparative and international education (CIE). As an interdisciplinary field, CIE draws on a variety of disciplinary approaches (e.g., economics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy), leading many students, scholars, and practitioners to
wrestle with what different theories mean, and how they can be applied and advanced in CIE research and practice. This book therefore aims to fill a unique gap in the cannon of texts pertaining to CIE, and related social science fields. The chapters focus in-depth on specific theoretical perspectives and seek to elucidate the histories, assumptions, and recent developments of these theories.

Each chapter begins with an overview of the core ideas, commitments, and explanations that comprise a theory (or set of theories). The chapters then examine the theory’s historical development and evolution, noting where relevant, any scholarly debates or competing theories that have emerged. How and where this theory has been applied within the field of CIE is broadly explored in the next section, including elucidations of what it has contributed to the field and how scholars and practitioners have used it to frame their work, either implicitly or explicitly. The chapters conclude, then, by both highlighting a specific case study of theoretical application and including suggestions for further reading. Written by leading scholars from various locations around the world, this text is poised to be an invaluable text for the future of CIE.

As noted in the Table of Contents, the volume includes chapters on a range of theories, including but not limited to: Structural-functionalism, Colonialism/Imperialism, Marxism, Human Capital Theory, World System Theory, Post-Colonialism, Post-Socialism, Post-Foundationalism, Neo-liberalism, Neo-Institutionalism, Neo-Marxism, Policy Borrowing and Lending, Peace Theories, Human Rights, Constructivism, Racism, Queer Theory, Social Network Theory, Capabilities Theory, and Cultural Political Economy.

Authors

• Aizuddin Mohamed Anuar, University of Oxford

• Marcelo Parreira Do Amaral, University of Münster

• Jordan Corson, Stockton University

• Marvin Erfurth, Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research & University of Muenster

• Oren Pizmony-Levy, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Susanne Ress, University of Bamberg

• Michele Schweisfurth, University of Glasgow

• Payal P. Shah, University of South Carolina

• Donna C. Tonini, Center for Global Studies, University of Illinois

• Anthony Welch, University of Sydney

• Laura Wangsness Willemsen, Concordia University, Saint Paul

• Tavis Jules, Loyola University Chicago

• Robin Shields, University of Bath

• Matthew A.M. Thomas, University of Sydney