The Ethics of Caring: Bridging Pedagogy and Utopia

In a cold and heartless world, Tammy Shel's The Ethics of Caring demonstrates that teaching can and should involve care for the student and a pedagogy of caring at the core of education. Combining philosophy with ethnography, Shel examines the definition of caring through the voices of five case studies of five teachers. The book demonstrates that despite the challenges they cope with, teachers can still make a difference in students' lives and in society, by doing more than teach for the test. The book makes a significant contribution to the promotion of the ethics of caring in education and for humanity's welfare. Douglas Kellner George F. Kneller Chair in the Philosophy of Education, UCLA Tammy Shel's study presented in this powerful book adds important dimensions to the understanding of "caring" in classrooms. Furthermore, the narrative and analysis of teachers, teaching, students, learning, and the contexts of schooling and communities provide for a deep theoretical and practical discussion of pedagogy vis-a-vis the larger purposes of education. The discussions of "caring," as enacted in these cases, are a solid and sophisticated contribution to further comprehend its complexity and challenges, as well as an addition to the literature in the field. This book is a must read for students of teaching, for experienced practitioners, and for teacher educators who are interested in a humanistic, caring, and just education. Jaime Grinberg Professor, Educational Foundations, Montclair State University