Slavoj Žižek: A Žižekian Gaze at Education (SpringerBriefs in Education)

**Žižek demands we take a long, hard look at the painful reality of education in contemporary capitalist society, and to actively seek out its ‘trouble in paradise’: Why is it education is supposedly failing to meet the demands of our society? Why is it there are record levels of stress for teachers? Why is it there is a record level of complaints from our university students? How is it now possible to compare a higher education course with a vacuum cleaner, toaster or television? This book illuminates aspects of Žižek’s ideas which sheds light into these modern challenges and tensions in education, and considers alternative ways forward. Though Žižek frustrates as much as he inspires with his own recipe of Lacan, Hegel and Marx, this book aims to give an entry route into Žižekian critique of education, a topic area he very rarely directly talks about.** Contents 7 Abbreviations 8 1 Introduction 9 References 11 2 Welcome to 017Di017Eek's Beard 12 Abstract 12 What Do You Get When You Mix Marx with Lacan and Hegel? 12 Lovers and Haters 18 References 20 3 Which Education? 21 Abstract 21 Education `Best Buys' 21 (Ant)Agonising Bureaucracy 26 References 28 4 Mobilising `Customer as King' 31 Abstract 31 Expectation, Expectation, Expectation 32 Seeing Kings and Subjects in the Mirror 37 References 39 5 We Know, but Still 42 Abstract 42 Acting `as if' 2 + 2 = 5 42 On Being Critical (And Being Caught, Again) 47 References 51 6 Now What Might We Do? 54 Abstract 54 We Need to Act 54 Glimpses into Navigating Differently 57 References 65 7 Springboard Resources 68 Abstract 68 Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-3 Welcome to Žižek’s Beard....Pages 5-13 Which Education?....Pages 15-24 Mobilising ‘Customer as King’....Pages 25-35 We Know, but Still ....Pages 37-48 Now What Might We Do?....Pages 49-62 Springboard Resources....Pages 63-64 Zizek demands we take a long, hard look at the painful reality of education in contemporary capitalist society, and to actively seek out its 'trouble in paradise': Why is it education is supposedly failing to meet the demands of our society?