ABSTRACT
The unifying theme of this collection is that educators interested in issues of race and gender reform now work in a new cultural and political context. While at a general level this much is clear enough, what is less clear is exactly how that context should be defined, how it impacts on the politics of educational reform and how it dictates the parameters within which new reforms might be conceptualized. These are issues that are central to any examination of the failure of our schools to provide women and minorities the educational opportunities that might lead to their effective and equitable participation in society. They are also crucial in any assessment of the various reforms that are currently being attempted in schools not only in the United States but also elsewhere. The papers in this collection explore these issues and while they demonstrate a diversity of perspectives, they also indicate a theoretical and political pragmatism which is, in my view, essential for working towards the goals of equality and democracy in education.
