Producing Success

The Culture of Personal Advancement in an American High School

By: Peter Demerath

Write A Review

Paperback | 15 December 2009 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
224 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.28 x 1.53 x 0.12

Paperback

RRP $54.95

$46.75

15%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.69 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

Middle- and upper-middle-class students continue to outpace those from less privileged backgrounds. Most attempts to redress this inequality focus on the issue of access to financial resources, but as Producing Success makes clear, the problem goes beyond mere economics. In this eye-opening study, Peter Demerath examines a typical suburban American high school to explain how some students get ahead.

Demerath undertook four years of research at a Midwestern high school to examine the mercilessly competitive culture that drives students to advance. Producing Success reveals the many ways the community's ideology of achievement plays out: students hone their work ethics and employ various strategies to succeed, from negotiating with teachers to cheating; parents relentlessly push their children while manipulating school policies to help them get ahead; and administrators aid high performers in myriad ways, even naming over forty students "valedictorians." Yet, as Demerath shows, this unswerving commitment to individual advancement takes its toll, leading to student stress and fatigue, incivility and vandalism, and the alienation of the less successful. Insightful and candid, Producing Success is an often troubling account of the educationally and morally questionable results of the American culture of success.

Industry Reviews

"Producing Success tells a very good story, highlighting matters that are of both current and perennial concern. Demerath's book should lead to interesting discussions about the stresses of academic meritocracy in America. It is a distinguished addition to the literature on American high schools." - Herve Varenne, Teachers College, Columbia University"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.