Teaching Community

In "Teaching Community", Bell Hooks shows how complex ideas of cultural theory can be simplified and made relevant to the lives of working people, and how the values of shared knowledge and learning can be a catalyst for progressive social change.

"Fans of hooks's earlier works, especially the landmark Teaching To Transgress , will welcome this new collection of essays on combating racism and sexism in education. Drawing extensively on her personal experiences as both student and teacher, hooks articulates a vision of democratic, progressive education that focuses on the classroom as a 'life-sustaining and mind-expanding' place. As with her previous books, her latest is passionate, opinionated, and challenging. While her statement that a '[commitment] to teaching well is a commitment to service' will attract some, her claims that racism, sexism, and class conflict are driving forces in the curriculum and in relations between teachers and students will unsettle many. Despite its challenging nature (or, more likely, because of it), the collection will interest students of education, ethnic and cultural studies, and women's studies." -- Library Journal

"Refreshingly original thinking about spirituality, family values, and even erotic relationships between professors and students...The author's clear and consistent voice for progressive, democratic education adds an important dimension to society's thinking about shared values and the creation of a loving and fair community." -- Publishers Weekly

" Teaching Community is magnificent. Educators, learners, and intellectuals will find the book to be an eye opening piece of work. [hook's] mastery of language, as it always does, creates a highly stimulating space from which readers can learn and actively participate in the analytical process. Black, white, male, female, teacher, and student should read the book for themselves and for the beloved community." -- Rolling Out

"hooks addresses many other topics of keen interest to all educators at various stages of their careers." -- Rosemary P. Carbine, College of the Holy Cross, Teaching Theology and Religion

"Fans of hooks's earlier works, especially the landmark Teaching To Transgress , will welcome this new collection of essays on combating racism and sexism in education. Drawing extensively on her personal experiences as both student and teacher, hooks articulates a vision of democratic, progressive education that focuses on the classroom as a 'life-sustaining and mind-expanding' place. As with her previous books, her latest is passionate, opinionated, and challenging. While her statement that a '[commitment] to teaching well is a commitment to service' will attract some, her claims that racism, sexism, and class conflict are driving forces in the curriculum and in relations between teachers and students will unsettle many. Despite its challenging nature (or, more likely, because of it), the collection will interest students of education, ethnic and cultural studies, and women's studies." -- Library Journal

"Refreshingly original thinking about spirituality, family values, and even erotic relationships between professors and students...The author's clear and consistent voice for progressive, democratic education adds an important dimension to society's thinking about shared values and the creation of a loving and fair community." -- Publishers Weekly

" Teaching Community is magnificent. Educators, learners, and intellectuals will find the book to be an eye opening piece of work. [hook's] mastery of language, as it always does, creates a highly stimulating space from which readers can learn and actively participate in the analytical process. Black, white, male, female, teacher, and student should read the book for themselves and for the beloved community." -- Rolling Out

bell hooks is a writer and critic who has taught most recently at Berea College in Kentucky, where she is Distinguished Professor in Residence. Among her many books are the feminist classic Ain't I A Woman , the dialogue (with Cornel West) Breaking Bread , the children's books Happy to Be Nappy and Be Boy Buzz, the memoir Bone Black (Holt), and the general interest titles All About Love, Rock My Soul , and Communion . Her many books published with Routledge include Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom, Belonging: A Culture of Place , We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity , Where We Stand: Class Matters , Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom , Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope, Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations , and Reel to Real: Race, Sex and Class at the Movies .