Chapter 9 is the first chapter in Part II and is thus the first chapter to develop Part I themes in a contemporary context. This chapter revisits the themes of liberty and literacy presented in Chapter 2. The contemporary perspective of Chapter 9 shows that the term "literacy" identifies more than one concept; that is, the meaning of literacy changes with historical setting and with ideological orientation.

        This chapter presents critical hegemony theory as an explanation for the general absence of critical literacy that would allow most Americans to develop an alternative to the corporate liberal perspective. The Primary Source Reading presents the argument that the school reform movement has not succeeded in educating our nation's youth because it was never intended to do so.