Molnar, Alex. School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal to Market Commodity

Adolescence, Fall, 2005

MOLNAR, Alex. School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal to Market Commodity. New York: Routledge, 2005. 178pp. $75.00 (h), $17.95 (p).

Kids today face a barrage of corporate messages in the classroom. In School Commercialism, Alex Molnar traces marketing in American schools over the last twenty-five years, raising serious questions about the role of private corporations in public education. Since the 1990s, Molnar argues, commercial activities have shaped the structure of the school day, influenced the curriculum, and determined whether children have access to computers and other technologies. He argues against advertisers' assertion that their contributions are a win-win proposition for cash-strapped schools and image-conscious companies. From the marketing of unhealthy foods to the expansion of the for-profit education management industry, School Commercialism tracks trends that are more pervasive than many parents realize and shows how we might recapture schools to better serve the public interest.