Introduction

In order to build a democracy, organisational forms of education have to be robust enough to tackle a number of developments in recent decades that can be identified as potentially undermining democracy. A non-exhaustive list of such factors includes: Growing inequality in wealth and income, as highlighted by a wide range of commentators, including the hardly radical Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as prominent writers such as Stiglitz. Declining participation and trust in democratic processes in Western and other contexts. The translation in education and wider society of democratic deliberation and decision making into techno-rational matters framed in terms of instrumentalism and efficiency. Growing extremism in Europe, North America, Australia and elsewhere, including religious extremism and growing support for extremist political parties. This introduction chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.