Critical Awareness Research Articles

The violence of curriculum: Dismantling systemic racism, colonisation and indigenous erasure within medical education.

Epistemic violence is enacted in medical curricula in mundane ways all the time, negatively impacting learners, teachers and patients. In this article, we address three forms of such violence: White supremacy, indigenous erasure and heteronormativity. In this article, we examine the knowledge systems of medicine as a global phenomenon, impacted by Western and European ideologies of race and colonisation, both produced by them, helping to reproduce them through authoritative and hegemonic ideologies. We seek not only to problematise but also to propose alternative teaching approaches rooted in the Global South and in Indigenous ways of knowing. Taking inspiration from Paulo Freire, we advocate for the development of critical consciousness through the integration of critical pedagogies of love, emancipation and shared humanity. Drawing on Irihapeti Ramsden, we advocate for cultural safety, which emphasises power relations and historical trauma in the clinical encounter and calls for a rights-based approach in medical education. Deliberately holding space for our own vulnerabilities and that of our students requires what Megan Boler calls a pedagogy of discomfort. Our perspectives converge on the importance of critical consciousness development for culturally safe practice in medical education, acknowledging the need to emphasise a curriculum of shared humanity, introducing the concept of Ubuntu from Southern Africa. Ubuntu can be encapsulated in the phrase 'I am because we are', and it promotes a collective approach to medical education in which there is active solidarity between the profession and the diverse populations which it serves.

Operationalizing Critical Literacy in EFL Classrooms in KSA: Possibilities and Challenges

Using a qualitative research method, this article explores how EFL teachers can operationalize critical literacy (CL) when teaching prescribed textbooks that emphasize functional literacy in EFL classrooms in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To address this research issue, the action research demonstrated and reflected my experience of using CL in one of my college-level EFL classrooms. The study ends by shedding light on the possibilities and challenges which teachers may need to negotiate and navigate through when implementing CL in EFL classrooms. Data were collected from two primary sources: my teaching reflective journals and classroom observations. The results indicate that students’ engagement, autonomy, voice, agency, and critical conscious awareness can be maintained and promoted when CL is enacted in EFL classrooms. In addition, the findings show that the use of CL can empower students and teachers alike to take on new positions and play different roles in EFL classrooms. KSA can equip its learners with the necessary skills to critically engage with language and texts, empowering them to become informed, active participants in an increasingly globalized world.

Healthcare providers' narratives about interactionally troubling patient exchanges: Accounting for and against an active patient role.

The current trend in healthcare is to actively involve patients in their own treatment; however, in practice, healthcare providers may adhere to paternalistic views, which may not align with ideals related to patient involvement. This tension may become visible when providers talk about service encounters that they experienced as being interactionally troubling. In this empirical qualitative study, we utilize Bamberg's narrative positioning analysis to explore how healthcare providers construct patients' roles in narratives about such troubling exchanges. Data consist of 20 audio-recorded interviews with healthcare providers. We found two types of narratives in which healthcare providers' perceptions of interactionally troubling patient exchanges were consistently related to their implicit evaluations of patients along a continuum of activeness versus passiveness. In the first, an active patient was considered ideal, and the problematic patient was one who is passive. In the second, a patient's over-activeness was thought to interfere with the healthcare delivery. While providers' complaints about patient passiveness were unproblematically presented from the perspective of the patient participation ideal, complaints about patient over-activeness were difficult to account for due to their inherent connotations with paternalism. Thus, we conclude that there is a need for training and interventions aiming to develop healthcare providers' critical awareness of shifting cultural models, including patient involvement ideals and providers' capacity to reflect paternalistic tendencies.

Implicit Biases and Racial Microaggressions: Examining the Impact on Black Social Work Students’ Well-Being

ABSTRACT This paper explores the concept of racial microaggressions, everyday slights and offensive behaviors experienced by people of color, particularly focusing on their manifestation within social work education programs. Black social work students, in particular, frequently encounter instances tied to stereotypes about their intellectual abilities, perpetuating historical prejudices and contributing to mental health challenges such as anxiety and impostor phenomenon (IP). The historical trauma endured by Black individuals adds a distinct layer to the struggles faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in social work education. Despite the evident impact, there exists a significant gap in scholarship addressing these issues, emphasizing the urgent need for the social work profession to confront and comprehend how implicit biases and racial microaggressions impede the success of Black social work students. This theoretical exploration aims to spark vital dialogue on the manifestations of implicit biases and racial microaggressions, probing their link to feelings of IP and historical trauma. Central to this inquiry is the examination of the critical consciousness framework’s efficacy in social work education, uncovering its role in raising awareness among professionals regarding their inadvertent perpetuation of oppressive systems. By leveraging this framework, the paper seeks to unearth structures of oppression and privilege, promoting awareness of unintentional complicity in upholding these structures. Recommendations align with the critical consciousness framework, advocating for future dialogues and the implementation of effective microaggression scales to incorporate and analyze frequencies and the impact of racism in social work research.

Towards a critical digital literacy and consciousness in higher education: the emancipatory role of critical digital pedagogy

ABSTRACT Digital pedagogy demands a critical approach to address challenges from technological inequalities, global crises like COVID-19, and the ethical and social implications of digital society. Higher Education (HE) must develop practices prioritizing critical literacy and consciousness. Critical Digital Pedagogy (CDP) emerges as a crucial framework for navigating these challenges and opportunities This literature review analyzes 40 studies to explore how CDP reshapes HE practices, emancipating students and teachers as critical, reflexive agents concerning the digital environment’s ethical, social, cultural, and political dimensions. It addresses three key research questions: (1) How does CDP, applied to teaching praxis, promote projects and methodologies that emancipate students as critical and reflective agents? (2) What educational principles within CDP enable the development of critical digital literacy among HE students? (3) How does CDP influence the construction of critical awareness within the HE community? The review highlights the importance of critical digital literacy in enhancing analytical skills, fostering critical data comprehension, and promoting digital inclusion. It advocates for transformative changes in educational practices and the adoption of innovative, technology-based methodologies that foster critical consciousness. Finally, the article proposes six CDP-based actions for HE, addressing themes like emotional support, digital ethics, and digital activism.

Feminist Liberation Psychotherapy: Re-Politicizing Intersectionality Toward Socially Just Clinical Practice

Mainstream psychotherapy was not developed to address the harmful effects of systemic oppression. In addition to being largely rooted in Eurocentric values and knowledge systems, mainstream psychotherapy risks maintaining an unjust status quo rather than resisting and challenging sociopolitical oppression. Consequently, there is an urgent need for feminist intersectional models of healing that address sociopolitical power. We describe a liberation psychotherapy model that was developed to reconcile intersectional forms of power and foster conscientização, critical consciousness. This liberation psychotherapy model is theoretically grounded in liberation and critical-community psychologies and empirically derived out of qualitative data that explored expert therapists’ responsible navigation of intersectional power dynamics in feminist-multicultural and humanistic-existential psychotherapies. Liberation psychotherapists aim to empower clients’ exploration of their lived experiences through decolonial testimonio that supports liberatory transformation and social justice action. We illustrate examples of how a feminist liberation psychotherapy can be applied toward anti-racism and anti-oppression in clinical practice.

Filter Bubble Trap: The Effect of TikTok Media on Language Use and Interaction Among Communication Science Students at UINSU

This article aims to explore the impact of the filter bubble created by the social media algorithm of TikTok on the language use and social interactions of Communication Studies students at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra (UINSU). The urgency of this research lies in the increasing dominance of TikTok in students' daily lives and how this platform shapes their behavioral and communication patterns. This study employs a qualitative method with a field research approach. The primary data sources are 10 key informants selected through purposive sampling, while secondary data are derived from books, scholarly articles, and reports. Data collection techniques include interviews, observations, documentation, and literature study. Data analysis is carried out through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with the validity of the data tested using triangulation techniques. The findings indicate that the filter bubble phenomenon has varied effects on students. On one hand, some students feel that the filter bubble limits their views on social and cultural issues, while others find it helpful in obtaining relevant and beneficial information. Additionally, TikTok also influences the language usage of students, with some reporting an expansion in their vocabulary and an increase in creativity, although it also leads to the use of more colloquial and less formal language. The discussion highlights the importance of digital literacy and critical awareness in utilizing social media. These findings align with the filter bubble theory by Eli Pariser, which emphasizes the need for exposure to diverse views to avoid intellectual isolation. Overall, the research suggests that students should be trained to use social media wisely, enabling them to maximize its benefits without falling into the shackles of the filter bubble.

Teacher cognition about intercultural communicative competence (ICC): a comparative study of English-major and German-major pre-service teachers in China

This study explored teacher cognition concerning intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among pre-service English and German teachers in China, a context influenced by a rising demand for English as a lingua franca and the increasing significance of the German language due to the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. Data were gathered from undergraduate pre-service teachers of English (EnS) (n = 54) and German (GeS) (n = 89) using a questionnaire at a Chinese university. The findings revealed that: (1) EnS emphasised ICC-oriented knowledge, attitudes, and critical cultural awareness in their provided definitions of ICC, whereas GeS focused on German proficiency and target ­culture-oriented knowledge; (2) EnS’ length of studying English, abroad experience, and prior teaching experience exhibited varying correlations with their ICC beliefs, whereas only grade level and abroad experience were significantly related to GeS’ cognition about ICC. This study contributes to the broader discourse on teachers teaching different languages and their perceptions of ICC amidst the global landscape shaped by the coexistence of multiple languages and cultures. It concludes by calling for further research examining teacher cognition and influential factors across diverse languages and educational contexts in the realm of ICC.

Asian American Critical Pedagogy Framework and Principles in Art Education

In this article, we, as Asian American visual arts and social studies educators, propose an Asian American Critical Pedagogy framework and its four principles. Building on critical race and social theories and pedagogies, we developed the four principles: Asian American critical consciousness, counternarratives and reclamation, heterogeneity and intersectionality, and joy and wellness. The four principles are the outcome of our collective theoretical exploration, autobiographical reflection, and the analysis of contemporary Asian American artists and their works. We hope the principles serve as a theoretical framework for future research and pedagogical exploration to recognize and expand the authentic voices and experiences of Asian American art educators and students and to offer insights for intersectional research with other marginalized communities.

Critical Scoping Review of Critical Consciousness as a Framework for Precollege Engineering Education

Critical Scoping Review of Critical Consciousness as a Framework for Precollege Engineering Education

Screens as an archipelago: analysis of screen-based public art as expanded cinema in Chinese metropolises

ABSTRACT Drawing upon Édouard Glissant’s notion of the ‘archipel’ and Gene Youngblood’s concept of the ‘expanded cinema,’ this study examines recent examples of screen-based public art showcased in densely populated Chinese metropolises. Focusing on the artworks’ potential to reconfigure the spaces they inhabit and engage the spectators within the context of urban landscapes, screens in these artworks are portrayed as integral components of an archipelago, elucidating the mobility of cultural communication. We introduce a methodological framework, termed ‘World-Archipelago’ and ‘Archipelago-World.’ The former scenario involves artworks that remain central and interact with their surroundings as extensions, merging virtual experiences with reality, while the latter blurs the boundaries between the artwork and its context, harmonizing with local culture and seamlessly integrating into the urban fabric. Thus, this study posits that applying archipelagic thinking provides a substantial and analytical understanding of screens as an artistic medium within public art, involving a rhizomatic interplay that transcends the conventional centre–periphery paradigm and demands an exploration of the evolving relationships between screen-based public art and spatial critical awareness within metropolitan contexts.

Beyond Critique: Returning to the Maternal through Vulnerability

ABSTRACT Critical awareness of how social locations and normative frameworks shape maternal realities has led feminist discussions to gradually withdraw from looking for any constant formation of the maternal that might connect different maternal experiences in different social settings. This paper suggests that implying a theory of vulnerability to the theorization of the maternal may provide a critical perspective concerning the influence of power formations and institutionalized injustices on maternal realities, while also theorizing the shared ontological, ethical, and political aspects of the maternal. This study draws on vulnerability theory to offer an account of maternal affective relations with the child, in which commitment and becoming are intertwined. I argue that the maternal is a relational space in which the desires for life of both the child and mother are entangled through and by the mother’s responsive commitment to the child’s vulnerability.

Critical Consciousness and Youth Political Activism

Like previous generations, today's youth are engaging in political activism to positively transform their local communities and the broader society. This review applies critical consciousness theory to shed light on the factors that spur youth political activism and to highlight how developing critical consciousness engenders developmental benefits. Critical consciousness refers to structural and historical reasoning about inequality, motivation to promote social change, and political activism to bring about social equity. A succinct review of outcomes associated with critical consciousness is presented first, followed by a nuanced contemporary understanding of the precursors to youth critical consciousness development. In closing, this review highlights exciting emerging directions in this area of research and offers reflections on the trajectory of critical consciousness scholarship. All told, critical consciousness research illuminates a strength-based approach for supporting youth's healthy development that adequately attends to the psychological, historical, and structural facets of youth experience.

Incorporating immigrant optimism into critical consciousness and civic development models: An integrative review and synthesis of civic action among immigrant youth of color in the United States.

Civic action describes participation in political and prosocial activities aimed at benefiting one's communities. A growing literature rooted in critical consciousness (CC) theory suggests that engaging in critical action, which challenges societal inequities, is important for the positive development of youth of color. Although valuable, existing literatures have yet to consider how psychological processes related to the immigrant experience, such as immigrant optimism (IO), may differentially influence the civic participation of immigrant youth of color. IO is a phenomenon in which immigrant groups hold higher aspirations and more positive views of the host society than their nonimmigrant peers, and this often is associated with positive outcomes. This article reviews and integrates relevant research on the civic development of immigrant youth of color, considering both how IO may be a particularly relevant process in shaping immigrant youths' CC development and how civic action may take different forms among these youth. We define concepts, integrate previously siloed literatures, and make recommendations for future research. We propose expanding existing frameworks to consider IO and forms of action, along with their intended outcome. Incorporating IO into studies of CC or civic development can clarify important differences and enhance our understanding of how best to support immigrant youth. Similarly, examining forms of action and their intended outcome may be advantageous in facilitating young immigrants' development as active and engaged members of society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Nurturing Peer Review Proficiency in the Curriculum for Early Career Medical Researchers: Fostering Academic Connectivity

Abstract Peer review is being criticized for its sluggishness and review quality. Swiftly identifying available reviewers and cultivating a pool of specialized experts is crucial to avoid delays and ensure a seamless peer review process. A promising strategy to enhance the quality of peer reviewers is to encourage and facilitate early career researchers (ECRs) to engage in co-reviewing with their mentors as part of their curriculum training. In addition, it holds significant potential to bridge gaps in research quality and discourage unethical ghostwriting of peer review reports. Encouraging co-reviewing practices in medical, dental, nursing, and other professional institutions will foster the development of critical skills, research awareness, mentorship, and collaborative abilities among ECRs. This paper proposes learning peer review modules in a two-step model, i.e., foundational learning and practical learning. Emphasizing peer review within the curriculum can be a significant and transformative step.

College men’s action for gender equality: A test of critical consciousness.

College men’s action for gender equality: A test of critical consciousness.

Leveraging Large Language Models for Direct Interaction with SysML v2

AbstractThis paper examines the potential integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) with the Systems Modeling Language version 2 (SysML v2), proposing a novel methodology for systems engineering by capitalizing on the enhanced readability and human‐friendly syntax of SysML v2. Given the emergent sophistication of LLMs and the coincidental development of SysML v2—‐an endeavor that presents a pivot toward naturally articulated model interaction—‐we explore the possibilities and implications of such an intersection. Our investigation posits that LLMs can serve not only as an interpretive layer, allowing for the syntactically simplified manipulation of system models, but also as a catalyst for a knowledge‐driven design approach.We highlight the efficiencies gained by deploying LLMs for SysML v2 interactions, which reduce the dependency on technical expertise traditionally needed for API navigation and model management. Through case studies and analysis, we demonstrate that the conversational engagement with system models facilitated by LLMs can lead to a democratized and accelerated design process. However, this advent is tempered by a critical awareness of potential pitfalls, such as automation bias and overreliance on automated systems—‐underscoring the need for continued human oversight and the examination of ethical considerations.Emphasizing the chance of SysML v2 being inherently English‐based and the parallel maturation of LLMs, this paper suggests that the collaborative utilization of these concurrent advancements may offer an opportune fusion, potentially revolutionizing the way systems are modeled and managed. Future work involves the empirical validation of these approaches and a deeper investigation into interoperability with existing and future systems engineering ecosystems. The ultimate goal is to ensure that this fusion not only complements human expertise but also propels systems engineering into a new era of innovation and holistic design.

칸트의 덕 개념과 도덕교육

Discussions about moral education based on Kant’s philosophy generally seem to revolve around the awakening and enlightenment of morality and good will. In such cases, educators face the difficult problem of coercion to exercise freedom. However, Kant’s moral philosophy does not ignore discussions related to the use of virtue and its cultivation, in addition to good will and sense of duty. If discussions about moral education are developed more based on Kant’s concept of virtue than on Kant’s one of morality, new concepts of educational practices may be developed. With this critical awareness in mind, the author seeks to find a more practical and realistic form of moral education that is based on duty ethics by paying attention to the concept of virtue discussed in Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals. For Kant, virtue is acquired as a result of empirically strengthening the power and capacity of good will in response to specific resistance. Therefore, virtue progresses to the self-domination of practical reason, which governs and dominates passions through respect for the law. In this respect, moral education, which is the acquisition of virtue, is more than awareness and enlightenment of good will. This is because virtue includes not only the ‘autonomy’ of practical reason, but also the moral strength of ‘self-dominance’ of practical reason. However, this does not mean that virtue goes beyond good will. It just adds a human and personal realization(achievement) of good will. A virtuous person is the result of education as training and practice.

Project LISTEN: Foundations and Development of a Peer Empowerment Program for Caregivers of Children with Variations of Sex Characteristics

AbstractNearly 2% of the population is born with intersex traits or variations of sex characteristics (VSC). Marginalization of people with VSC whose experience of social isolation and stigma can lead to mental health challenges and low degrees of medical and self-empowerment. Infants and children with VSC rely on caregivers to make decisions which impact their medical and social-emotional wellbeing. Interview recordings were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and generated four preliminary themes that will be used to develop a logic model to inform the development of a novel peer-empowerment intervention: (1) the isolating and overwhelming experience of learning about child’s VSC; (2) caregivers desire early access to education and information; (3) connecting with peer support provides reassurance and lessens stigma; (4) developing skills of communication and advocacy help empower parents. Features of post-traumatic growth were endorsed by caregivers. In partnership with an advisory group of stakeholders, findings from this study will be used to develop a logic model of the psychological, social, and environmental determinants that our intervention will target to improve health and quality of life outcomes for new parents of children with VSC. Project LISTEN (Let Intersex Stories Teach, Enlighten, and Nurture) applies the concepts of epistemic justice and health liberation to support, educate, and empower caregivers of children with VSC. Clinical social workers are ideal champions for peer empowerment programs that work to develop critical consciousness in those who have been socially marginalized.

Students’ critical awareness of the internet and social media use as resources for Islamic learning in Indonesian public senior high schools

ABSTRACT The internet and social media as sources of learning have played a vital role in education. However, the use of the internet and social media-based materials for students learning about Islam in the school context has yet to be widely known. This study describes students’ attempts to maximise internet and social media to enlighten their understanding of Islamic learning materials at senior high schools. The authors collected data through face-to-face interviews with students who actively participated in school-based extracurricular organisations. The study suggested that the internet and social media have impacted learners’ approaches to learning about Islam in schools. Islamic teaching methods at school levels no longer centre on teachers; instead, they focus on students. The results further indicated that students search for the internet and social media-based Islamic learning resources and discuss them online in whatsApp groups or offline in extracurricular groups. Students also show their open and rational attitudes instead of being hypocritical and bound to one religious madzhab.