Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iA3FGGd07705; Wed, 3 Nov 2004 10:16:16 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 10:16:16 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <681A95205B5ACB4AAD697401486AE712046F99@hal9000.lvgh.prv> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "George Demetrion" <george.demetrion@lvgh.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1699] Critical Literacy vs Critical Thinking- a crucial distinction X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 3839 Lines: 34 Hello Andrea and others. It might be useful to make a distinction between critical literacy as a subset of critical pedagogy, based on the work of Paulo Freire, Henry Giroux, Ira Shor and others (as articulated in Sophie's article), and that of critical thinking as grounded in reading theory in the capacity to discern various dimensions of authorial intent in a text, based on close comprehension work of both a literal and inferential sort. I would agree that these two schools of thought can be usefully blurred at times, particularly when one moves from analysis of the text toward appropriation, and given also the reality that in principle, there is no end point to the work of critical learning, which could lead toward what Freire and the others are getting at in their use of the term critical literacy or critical pedagogy. Still, the differences between the two serve a useful function in clarifying distinctions, in which with critical literacy/pedagogy, one would begin the discussion with the Freirian aphorism of "reading the word in order to read the world." Moreover, when we look at critical literacy/ pedagogy as articulated by Freire et. al., there is an intentional political dimension to it (a radical politics of literacy) which is at the core of its definition. This is not the case, I believe in the arena of critical thinking as a developed pedagogy of reading, although it could include that dimension. The core concept, moreover, in critical literacy/pedagogy is a pedagogy of emancipation verses a pedagogy of oppression, the central thesis of Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. This language is directly linked to the quest for liberation among oppressed groups as an oppositional stance against the domination (hegemony) of mainstream, formally democratic, and authoritarian political, social, and economic systems. By its inherent definition, in critical literacy/pedagogy the pedagogical is political and the political is pedagogical. One can make of critical literacy/pedagogy, as defined by Freire et al what one will, but for the sake of historical clarity, there is much value in keeping sharp the distinction between it and the concept of critical thinking that is grounded in an essentially (overtly, at least) apolitical context. I think it's also useful in keeping these distinctions clear as we continue to work through the politics and pedagogy of adult literacy education in the United States in the current political climate. I take some issue with Freire's binary polarity in juxtaposing emancipation and oppression as he defines the terms, in oppositional categories. Even still, I embrace what may be viewed as his more fundamental assumption that, by definition, the pedagogical (definitions of literacy and modes of teaching, say) is political (in terms of political culture influencing--if not shaping-- what gets publicly construed as literacy and policy-based modes of legitimization). Notwithstanding certain connections that can be made between critical literacy and critical thinking, the distinctions, which are historically and politically rooted in 35 years of discourse on adult literacy, also bear keeping in mind. George Demetrion ----- Original Message ----- From: AWilder106@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 6:18 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1698] RE: Critical Literacy Colleagues, Ah, yes--"When the student is ready the teacher(s) appears." Thanks! I had completely forgotten about Sophia Degener's chapter, among other references. There is a big difference between reading a recipe for biscuits and actually contemplating cooking them. So thanks Meta, David, Eileen, Jackie and Chris; I appreciate the thoughtful replies. Who have I forgotten? Any additional perspectives very welcome. Andrea
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:45:58 EST