How “the right” continues to “do wrong” by our young people: contemporary reflections on Michael Apple’s analysis of the “rightist turn” in education

Abstract

Michael Apple’s 2005 article, “Doing Things the ‘Right’ Way: Legitimating Educational Inequalities in Conservative Times”, is a seminal piece of writing that highlights some of his core concerns with the effects of neo-liberal and neo-conservative ideologies on education. Since its publication, this article has incited much debate about the increasingly right-wing economic and political factors that have influenced educational policies during the last four decades. Apple’s theories have been highly influential in shaping the research interests of those who work towards more socially just education systems. This paper reflects upon the degree to which things have actually changed since Apple’s original article was published over a decade ago.

Keywords:

• Neo-liberalism
• neo-conservatism
• educational inequality
• youth

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.