Abstract

GANDIN, Luís Armando  and  LIMA, Iana Gomes de. Michael Apple’s contributions to research on educational policy. Educ. Pesqui. [online]. 2016, vol.42, n.3, pp.651-664. ISSN 1678-4634.  https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-9702201609143447.

This paper aims at analyzing Michael Apple’s contributions to research on educational policy. Among the vast work of Apple, we point to six elements that can help those interested in the field of educational policy: the epistemological principle of relational analysis; examining the State as a relation; the legacy of Antonio Gramsci and Raymond Williams that Michael Apple incorporates into the use of concepts such as hegemony and common sense; Apple’s analysis of educational policy as cultural policy, as disputes over worldview, as a struggle for the consolidation of hegemony that goes beyond economy; his attitude as a researcher; and his ability of going beyond the logics of reproduction and determination to emphasize the role of agency and counter-hegemony. Through concrete examples of Apple’s own work and of other empirical research, we present the implications of each of the six elements aforementioned to the scholars interested in educational policy. We conclude by showing that many of Apple’s contributions can indeed improve on current research in the area, particularly taking into consideration his critique of economic determinism in educational analysis, pointing out to the crucial role of culture in research.

Keywords : Michael Apple; Educational policy; Relational analysis; Sociology of education.

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