Tomorrow's Children: A Blueprint for Partnership Education for the 21st Century

In The Chalice and the Blade, Eisler described the evolution of Western society in terms of two competing forms of social organization: the ""dominator"" model, characterized by authoritarian relationships, war and male domination, and the ""partnership"" model, characterized by democratic, egalitarian social structures and gender equity. Now she brings her theory of cultural transformation to bear on education and the complex problem of how to prepare children for a ""partnership"" society, or, how to encourage them to become nonsexist, nonracist, ""healthy, caring, competent, self-realized adults."" Eisler has done her homework, demonstrating a sophisticated grasp of learning theory, child development, interdisciplinary curricula and the complex social contexts of education. Though many of her suggestions--such as teaching a multicultural curriculum that emphasizes examples of partnership and ""asking questions that do not have yes or no `right' answers but, instead, provoke thought""--are familiar, she synthesizes a variety of classroom techniques into a compelling framework for developing lessons that speak to the urgency of the environmental and social challenges facing us in the next century. Inviting readers to think outside conventional boxes of educational reform, this is an ambitious, imaginative and practical guide to a better educational future. (Feb.)