Social Radicalism as a Framework for Education.

This paper examines the nature of radicalism, proposes definitions and dimensions, and suggests the dynamics of radical thoughts and their interrelation with schools. A radical idea is one which is highly divergent from the normative values, behaviors, ideals or traditions of a culture at a point in time. This paper views radical ideas as occurring at either end of a right-left spectrum of social thought. While one might expect radical right and radical left ideas to be dichotomous, there are a number of areas of convergence. Because schools are a major agent of socialization, they are one of the primary foci of reform movements, both as agents and targets. Thus, the content of radical social ideas has a direct relation to the content present in schools. In terms of process, schools in an open society must be able to provide an intellectual setting in which conflicting ideas can be examined. This process implication of radical ideas for education assumes adequate academic freedom and intellectual prowess to engage students in these typically controversial topics. Unfortunately, the tradition of intellectual and academic freedom has not been well established in the public schools. Educators need to undertake the study of social radicalism and to provide students with opportunities for extensive investigation of radical social ideas. (Author/JLB)