Conservatism and social policy: an examination of modern conservative approaches to education policy in Great Britain and the united states

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the conservative movements in the United States and Great Britain from the 1980's to the present and to assess conservative education policy with respect to the conservative principles upon which it is claimed to be based. These principles are shown to be divided into two broad categories—traditional and classical liberal—but are discussed in terms of their recent marriage to form what is referred to here as Modern Conservatism. Education is used as the focus in this discussion because it illuminates the debate between pro-state Liberal and Modern Conservative ideologies and principles as they relate to different structural and methodological approaches in education. To this extent, then, this thesis looks at certain issues such as traditionalism, progressivism and egalitarianism in education and relates them to the larger debate between the two differing ideologies. Finally, as part of this analysis an assessment will be made of how well conservative principles have translated into actual Modem Conservative education policies from the 1980's to the present.