Edith W. King

About The Author

Edith W. King became an educational sociologist over forty-five years ago with her doctorate from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. For the past four decades a Professor of Educational Sociology and as Chairperson of the Worldmindedness Institute in Denver, Colorado, she has served as a dedicated teacher and mentor to countless doctoral and masters students and alumni, many of whom have gone on to serve as faculty in universities and colleges throughout the U.S. and the world, including in Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. She taught courses in Sociology of Education; Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Education; Education for a Multiethnic Population; Qualitative Research Methods; and International Education and Human Rights.

Dr. King's eBooks available exclusively on Kindle are:

Social Thought on Education 3rd ed. (2018)

Encounters with Sociology (2017)

Educating Students in Times of Terrorism (2016)

One educator said this about Dr. King's latest book "Educating Students in Times of Terrorism" (2016): "I like how you present various ways to teach peace as a powerful way to educate about and protect children from the spread of terrorism." Sara Ipatenco, Teacher, Denver Colorado

For a number of years she organized travel seminars for graduate students, teachers and administrators to study education in international settings in Britain, Singapore, Mainland China, and Canada. Many know and identify her with the term "Worldmindedness" as not only is this the closing in all of her correspondence, it identified her unique seminars, federally-funded institutes and course offerings during the 1960's through the 1990's. The term "Worldmindedness" reflects her philosophy and teaching of global understanding, education for peace-building, and women's rights.

During a career spanning four decades she has authored numerous articles, papers, reports and reviews on topics and issues covering textbooks for the teaching of sociology of education, the impact of ethnic identity, Islamophobia, female genital mutilation (FGM), terrorism and teaching, and undocumented immigrant children. Dr. King is the author of over 15 textbooks including: Looking Into the Lives of Children...A Worldwide View (1999); Twentieth Century Social Thought (1995) with R. P. Cuzzort; Social Thought Into the 21st Century 6th Edition (2002), dedicated to R. P. Cuzzort (posthumously). It is from the wellspring of her writings that Dr. King has drawn inspiration for her recent books, Encounters with Social Thought (2012); Social Thought on Education Second Edition (2014); and Teaching in an Era of Terrorism Fourth Edition (2013).

This comment was recently received: "I was touched that the 4th edition of Teaching in an Era of Terrorism begins with the re-dedication to your friend, Major Phillip Ambard, who died in Afghanistan in 2010. Our men and women in the armed forces deserve so much more than what we give them. I took out the first edition of your book, which you autographed for me, to see what changes you have made. I really like the fact that you have added some illustrations to the book. It helps me visualize the ideas that you so eloquently present."

Miriam Rosendo, Educator

Mary Stokrocki, Professor of Art and Art Education, Arizona State University, August, 2014 wrote: "Edith King's book Social Thought on Education, second edition provides useful and exciting sociological cases and theories for readers to contemplate. Historically Mead's work offers feminist interpretations of early tribal culture hotly debated with Derek Freeman. Durkheim came to the conclusion that the sacred object is actually a symbolic representation of social force. Merton's s labors reveal hidden functions behind high-stakes testing. These characterizations offer role models of learning involving risk taking and intellectually challenging authority with real experiences and contra cases that range from the practical to the political."

"Characterizing schooling as dramatic performance is delightful as in readers can examine phony/sincere/cynical character types that Goffman suggested. Other schools emphasize social relationships more than learning content. The photographs of schooling in rural Sichuan, China are authentically sad. The suggested educational applications also relate to community contexts as well as classrooms so that people could consider different sociological explanations and solve crucial problems in diverse ways."

"Secondary school students would be intrigued with the sociological analysis of Halloween: chapter. I studied the "carnivalesque" aspects of this ritual too. Kids can also discover the parody of everyday life and power. The idea of deviant actions pushes students to examine nonconforming alternatives as opposed to the aberrant behaviors and solutions that teens are championing in their art works."

Marta Cruz-Janzen, Emeritus Professor, College of Education, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL wrote: "Books in the sociology of education are primarily written for graduate or upper division undergraduate education students in formal preparation programs. Sociology for educators needs to be brought into all areas of education, even including the STEM subjects- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As Edith King writes in Social Thought On Education we have entered an era never imagined and "this amazing era of constant change portends great significance for learning, for schools, for teachers, for parenting." (p.3) Her book offers ideas, suggestions and proposals to meet these challenges."