Critical Theory and Music Education

An Evolving Bibliography

Adorno, Theodor W. Aesthetic Theory. University of Minnesota Press, 1997 (German 1970). Recommended by Jürgen Vogt: Adorno´s unfinished “Summa Aesthetica” : Dissonanzen (Gesammelte Schriften 14), Frankfurt a. M. (Suhrkamp) 1997 (1956). Includes the essays “Kritik des Musikanten” [may be translated as “Critique of non-reflective musicianship”] and “Zur Musikpädagogik” [“About Music Education”], Adorno`s rigorous critique of restaurative Music Education in Germany after World War II. [As far as I know these essays are not yet translated in English.] Seconded by JT Gates: “…the most readable English translation of Adorno’s aesthetic theory.”

Apple, Michael, W. and Weis, Lois, eds. Ideology and Practice in Schooling. Temple University Press, 1996. Recommended by T Regelski as a collection of important papers on the need for ideology critique in schooling.

Arato, Andrew and Gebhardt, Eike. The Essential Frankfurt School Reader. Continuum Publishers, 1993. Recommended by T Regelski as a source book of important readings.

Bernstein, Richard J, ed. Habermas and Modernity. MIT Press, 1994. Recommended by T Regelski as an overview of Habermas with critical comments by leading philosophers and Habermas’ reply to his critics.

Bourdieu, Pierre. The Logic of Practice. Trans. Richard Nice. Stanford University Press, 1990 (1980). Recommended by T Regelski; although not a Critical Theorist as such, Bourdieu’s analysis of the logic of practical action provides a similar account of professional agency.

Carr, Wilfred and Kemmis, Stephen. Becoming Critical: Education, Knowledge and Action Research. Falmer Press, 1986. Recommended by T Regelski as indispensable reading on Critical Theory applied to teaching.

Freire, Paulo. Education for Critical Consciousness. Continuum Publishers, 1996. Recommended by T Regelski as an introduction to a parallel or related school of “critical education.”

Fromm, Eric. The Fear of Freedom. ARK Paperbacks (London), 1984 (1942). Recommended by T Regelski as the basic position of this leading Critical Theorist on the human tendency to submit to unfreedom.

Giroux, Henry A. Pedagogy and the Politics of Hope: Theory, Culture, and Schooling. Westview Press, 1997. Recommended by T Regelski as a representative sample of articles on “critical education” in the tradition of the Frankfurt School.

Habermas, Jürgen. The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity. Twelve Lectures, MIT Press 1990 (German 1985). Recommended by Jürgen Vogt: Habermas´ attempt to understand post-structuralistic thinking (and his teacher Adorno).

Hoy, David Couzens and McCarthy, Thomas. Critical Theory. Blackwell, 1994. Recommended by T Regelski as a useful introduction to Critical Theory.

Ingram, David. Critical Theory and Philosophy. Paragon House, 1990. Recommended by T Regelski as an overview of Critical Theory.

________. Habermas and the Dialectic of Reason. Yale University Press, 1987. Recommended by T Regelski as a good introduction to Habermas.

Habermas, Jurgen. Legitimation Crisis. Beacon Press, 1975. Recommended by T Regelski as an accessible overview of Habermas’ critique of scientist, technicist and institutional paradigms.

________. Theory and Practice. Beacon Press, 1973. Recommended by T Regelski as a “classical” critique of the scientistic ideology of objectivism and of Habermas’ praxial theory of society.

Horkheimer, Max. Critical Theory: Selected Essays. Continuum Publishing, 1992. Recommended by T Regelski as representative of the seminal thinker in Critical Theory.

Horkheimer, Max and Adorno, Theodor W. Dialectic of EnlightenmenT Continuum Press, 1994. Recommended by T Regelski; the “classical” critique of the problems stemming from the conflict between Enlightenment reason and empiricism — the “traditional theory” of which Critical Theory is critical.

Hubner, KurT Critique of Scientific Reason. Trans. P. R. Dixon, Jr., and H. M. Dixon. University of Chicago, 1983. Recommended by T Regelski as a definitive critique of scientism by a leading contemporary Critical TheorisT

Listeon, Daniel P. and Zeichner, Kenneth M. Culture and Teaching. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1996. Recommended by T Regelski as a succinct summary of issues concerning “reflective teaching” (particularly Dewey, Schon and others).

McCarthy, Thomas. The Critical Theory of Jurgen Habermas. MIT Press, 1994 (1978). Recommended by T Regelski as a standard introduction to Habermas by a friend and critic of Habermas.

Peukert, HelmuT Kritische Theorie und Pädagogik, in: Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 2 (1983), pp.195-217. Recommended by Jürgen Vogt: “Sums up the reception of Critical Theory in German educational thoughT Prof. Peukert spent some time at Columbia University; perhaps some of his writings have been translated recently.”

Pinar, William F., and Reynolds, William M, eds. Understanding Curriculum as Phenomenological and Deconstructed TexT Teachers College Press, 1992. Recommended by T Regelski as a valuable collection of “post-structuralist” papers on phenomenological bases of curriculum and action research.

Pusey, Michael. Jurgen Habermas. Tavistock Publications (London/NY), 1987. Recommended by T Regelski as a concise outline of Habermas’ thought and importance.

Regelski, Thomas A. “From modernism to post-modernism: Music as praxis.” Paper read at the Philosophy of Music Education International Symposium III, UCLA, May 1997.

________. “Action learning: Curriculum and instruction as and for praxis.” Proceedings of the Charles Fowler Conference on Arts Education, University of Maryland, College Park, May 1997, in press.

________. “A critical pragmatism of creativity for general music.” General Music Today, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Spring 1997).

________. “A prolegomenon to a praxial theory of music and music education.” Finnish Journal of Music Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Fall 1996); reprinted in edited and extended version in, Canadian Music Educator, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Spring 1997).

________. “Critical Theory as a basis for critical thinking in music education.” Proceedings: Critical Thinking in Music Education Symposium, University of Western Ontario, Canada, October 1996; in press (actual title to be announced).

________. “Taking the ‘Art’ of music for granted; A critical sociology of the aesthetic philosophy in music.” In Critical Reflections on Music Education, ed. L.R. Bartel and D.J. ElliotT Toronto: University of Toronto, Canadian Music Education Research Center, 1996.

________. “Scientism in experimental research.” Philosophy of Music Education Review, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Spring 1996).

________. “Sociology of knowledge, Critical Theory, and ‘methodolatry’ in music education.” Paper read at the Interdisciplinary Conference in Music Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, April 1995.

________. “Musicians, teachers, and the social construction of reality.” Paper read at the Sociology of Music Education Conference, University of Oklahoma, April 1995.

________. “Action research and critical theory: Empowering music teachers to professionalize praxis.” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 123 (Winter 1994-95).

________. “A Critical Theory of culture and multiculturalism.” Paper read at the Bordercrossings [interdisciplinary music studies] Conference, University of Ottawa, Canada, March 1995.

________. “The action value of musical experience and learning.” In A Compendium of Music Thought, 2 vols, ed. by John Paynter (London: Routledge, 1993).

________. “Action learning versus the Pied Piper approach.” Music Educators Journal, Vol. 69, No. 8 (April 1983).

________. “Action learning.” Music Educators Journal, Vol. 69, No. 6 (February 1983).

Rose, Andrea. “A reflective and critical internship in music education: Issues and possibilities.” In Doyle, Clar, et al., Toward Building A Reflective and Critical Internship Program (The RCEP Model): Theory and Practice. Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1994.

Shor, Ira. Empowering Education: Critical Teaching for Social Change. University of Chicago Press, 1992. Recommended by T Regelski as being in the Paulo Friere related tradition of “critical education.”

Smith, Gary, ed. [Walter] Benjamin: Philosophy, Aesthetics, History. University of Chicago Press, 1989. Recommended by T Regelski as a useful collection of writings by this leading Critical TheorisT

Wartofsky, Max W. “Art as humanizing praxis.” In Models: Representations and the Scientific Understanding. Synthese Library: Studies in Epistemology, Logic, Methodology, and the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 129. See also, Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 48. Boston: D. Reidel, 1979.

Wiggershaus, Rolf. The Frankfurt School: Its History, Theories, and Political Significance. Trans. M. Robertson. MIT Press, 1994. Recommended by T Regelski as the “definitive” account of the Frankfurt School.