Critical Theory and Educational Practice - Giroux
I find myself both in agreement and at odds with particular aspects of the Frankfort school. I agree that simply using a positivist view of life results in a stiflingly narrow epistemology and really is not representative of the fullness of life. I do agree that historical consciousness, especially as related to the funds of knowledge of particular groups of people, is an important aspect of critical thinking. However, I believe critical thinking can become so abstract in its ontology, that it results in negating the ideology of more conservative people. It's important not to delegitimate the paradigm to which people ascribe because to do so will potentially result in their becoming defensive and closed to a transformative dialectic. I personally ascribe to the thought that by first validating the position from which people begin, the resulting dialectic is conducted within an arena of safety through which people can "try on" new ideas at their own pace.
From Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Freire
Emulating Freire is one of life's challenges. I find that one of the greatest challenges in creating dialog with my "resistant" students is finding that place within our contemporary culture that I can use as a stepping stone. Their lives, although similar in ways, are also very different. It's a constant learning experience for me as the teacher.
Your critique of the effects of the Frankfort School makes sense. Others agree with you that the School's initial objective has been re-routed into a theoretical abyss marked by an unintelligible ontology that lacks praxis - a translation of theory into practice.
ReplyDeleteAll is not lost though, when we look at the effect that critical theory has had on developing new perspectives, we hear many heretofore invisible narratives and voices, and have begun the process of "validating the position from which people begin" rather than validating them from the perspective of the dominate paradigm as traditional epistemologies have done. It's a start!
Your reference to 'resistant students' is well taken. As you suggest - finding the right stepping stone' is key. Don't give up looking for it, you'll step on the right stone eventually.