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What Schools Ban and Why
R. Murray Thomas
ISBN: 0-313-35298-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-35298-0
292 pages
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 6/30/2008
List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £34.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Also Available: Ebook
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • "Thomas (emer., Univ. of California, Santa Barbara) presents a compilation of controversies about what is censored in schools in the US...This is an excellent book on a very timely topic—censorship in schools today. Highly recommended. All readership levels."
    —CHOICE     2/1/2009
  • "School personnel, especially superintendents and principals, will find here a rich and responsible background for their planning for their institutions in the years to come. The reader cannot but be impressed by the wealth of gratuitous material which Thomas offers in this work."
    —Catholic Library World     3/1/2009
Description: Schools in the United States have historically banned many different things. From clothing to weapons, from cell phones to books, schools have implemented various types of censorship and restrictions on their students for a variety of reasons and with a variety of results. This book's purpose is to describe the various things banned in schools, the reasons behind attempts to ban such things, the types of people who approve of censoring those things and the types who do not, the outcome of representative cases of censorship, and suggestions for school personnel about how to cope with bans. Each chapter addresses the same sequence of topics: a particular type of ban's domain and historical background; representative cases of the ban's application; ban supporters and their methods; ban critics and their methods; and ways of resolving conflicts over the ban.

While some may argue that cell phones are necessary in today's school setting, others would suggest they are disruptive. While some may argue The Catcher in the Rye should be banned, others may say it is essential reading for American students. More recently, some schools have banned all of the Harry Potter books from their library shelves. Few would argue that a ban on weapons is a bad thing, but who determines what should be considered a weapon? In some schools, restrictions are placed on Web access, but who decides what to allow and what not to allow? Where do the lines get drawn? Here, Thomas reviews the many areas of censorship in our schools and helps readers draw their own conclusions.
Table of Contents:
  • Chapter 1: Forbidden Environments
    Chapter 2: Books
    Chapter 3: Computers and the Internet
    Chapter 4: Movies, Television, and Photographs
    Chapter 5: Garb
    Chapter 6: Food and Drink
    Chapter 7: Speech
    Chapter 8: Bullying and Sexual Annoyances
    Chapter 9: Music
    Chapter 10: Vandalism
    Chapter 11: Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
    Chapter 12: Weapons
    Chapter 13: People
    Chapter 14: Ceremonies and Performances
    Chapter 15: Displays
    Chapter 16: A Likely Future
    References
    Notes
About the Author: R. Murray Thomas is Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of several books, including Religion in Schools: Controversies around the World (Praeger, 2006), Violence in America's Schools (Praeger, 2006), God in the Classroom (Praeger, 2007), and Manitou and God (Praeger, 2007), among other titles.
PDF Catalogs:
Praeger Religion Catalog 2008.pdf
Greenwood School and Public Library Reference Spring 2008.pdf
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