Theories of the State

In his presidential address at the Comparative and International Education Society annual meeting, Martin Carnoy suggested the need for educational researchers to make their theory of the state explicit. I am now grappling with notions of the theory of the state...

Originally I had focused only on what I was terming "functionalist" theories, "conflict" theories and "institutionalist" theories. now i am thinking of only two: "state as rational actor" vs. "institutionalist theories" which proscribe the role of state as rational actor. could the state as rational actor encompass the notion of purposeful cultivation of workers for the workforce [as in "Schooling and Work in the Democratic State"] as well as state as purposefully using education as a means for social reproduction?...do theories of social reproduction focus on more latent or hidden forces rather than explicit forces. I need to go back and look at these more carefully. to the extent that forces of social reproduction are aspects of the hidden curriculum i guess I should classify these under institutional forces.

perhaps my problem is that previously i was trying to combine educational purposes e.g. somehow link functionalist ideas with a major focus on the role of education in economic development and conflict theories with the role of education in social control...but i may now be able to separate perspectives on the role of the state [i.e. rational vs. bounded rationality] and the ostensible educational purposes.

but explicit educational purposes seem to only fit in the state as rational actor model...and in this case it becomes necessary to read between the lines if you want to draw any conclusions or test any theories about institutional processes...is that right?

is there a way i can get away with state as rational actor model?

another problem is that i have not yet made it clear what i am trying to prove...

basically... i want to obtain a description of what the policy reforms aim for in terms of policy rhetoric. i want to state explicitly my theory of the state [which i am trying to construct as state as rational actor but drawing on institutional theory as a way to moderate this with an understanding of bounded rationalities...spread of internationally institutionalized norms of social justice--EFA etc., progressive ideologies related to the cultivation of innovation and creativity, not sure what to say about patriotic education...]

1) what are the policy goals for the new education reforms and specifically for the curriculum reforms for basic education?
2) what implications do different theories of the state have for understanding these goals for the curriculum reforms.