Critical ethnography and a Vygotskian pedagogy of hope: The empowerment of Mexican immigrant children

Abstract

This article, via the use of ethnographic research methods, suggests that critical theory and critical pedagogy can fruitfully redirect the attention from the predominant rhetoric on oppression to the developmental, cognitive, and academic needs of immigrant, low-income, and culturally different children. The Vygotskian approach is advocated to stress the need for the creation of linguistically and culturally appropriate learning environments that link the social and cognitive processes which constitute the basis for genuine empowerment in schoolchildren. The use of concrete examples will illustrate the major points of the article.