Development Of Critical Consciousness Research Articles

‘It didn’t come up on my radar’: an examination of students’ orientation toward disability justice in the US

While social justice is a well-recognized concept, it is less frequently examined through the lens of disability. In order to address existing gaps within social justice education, this qualitative case study investigates how participation in a semester-long Introduction to Disability Studies (IDS) course affected students’ orientation toward disability justice, or the conception of disability as an issue of social justice. The framework underpinning this research merges Cipolle’s theory of critical consciousness development with disability-based constructs. Findings reveal that participation in IDS allowed participants to develop an awareness of their ability privilege, understand the experiences of peers with disabilities, increase their social awareness of disability, and consider their work as disability allies. This article concludes with recommendations for social justice educators who are interested in applying disability justice practices.

Interrogating the Intersections: How Intersectional Perspectives Can Inform Developmental Scholarship on Critical Consciousness.

Developmental psychologists widely recognize that the social structures and inequities of American society influence youth development. A burgeoning body of research also considers how youth marginalized by society critically evaluate societal inequities and take action to change them (critical consciousness, Freire [Education for critical consciousness (Vol. 1). Bloomsbury Publishing.]), suggesting that marginalized youth who are more critically conscious experience improved mental health and better educational and occupational outcomes and are more engaged in traditional forms of civic behavior. The current manuscript critically reviews and extends this area of research from an intersectional perspective. Drawing from core writings in intersectionality and more recent psychological applications, we contend that research on marginalized youth's critical consciousness could be further strengthened by (1) focusing on marginalizing systems, rather than marginalized individuals; (2) conceptualizing and examining multiple systems of oppression; and (3) paying greater attention to sociohistorical knowledge. We conclude with some initial concrete recommendations for integrating principles of intersectionality into scholarship on youths' critical consciousness development.

Centering the Fourth Pillar in Times of TWBE Gentrification: “Spanish, Love, Content, Not in That Order”

ABSTRACTThe growth of TWBE programs—mainly due to the surging interest of White English-speaking families—presents the field with myriad challenges and hopeful possibilities. Critical scholars in bilingual education point to an urgency to reissue Guadalupe Valdés’s “cautionary note” due to a neoliberal path targeting TWBE programs, posing a dangerous threat to the original aims of bilingual education that prioritizes the lives and realities of Latinx students. A key element in this reissuing is the urgency to move beyond TWBE’s laudable and official pillars of academic rigor, biliteracy and biculturalism, and multicultural competence to include a concerted focus on the fourth pillar around the development of critical consciousness. Through a critical ethnographic study in a rapidly gentrifying TWBE school, we documented a fifth-grade teacher’s critical pedagogy of Spanish, love, content, not in that order. We argue that her language-as-empowerment framework is a critical pedagogical extension of Ruíz’s language-as-resource framework and is crucial in the current neoliberal moment of TWBE.

Abby as Ally: An Argument for Culturally Disruptive Pedagogy

This article re-stories the navigation of one White female student, Abby, enrolled in a 12thgrade ethnic studies course titled Native American literature. Abby reveals tensions, disruptions, and self-discoveries within a course that recentered Indigenous histories and literacies while, concurrently, decentered dominant knowledge systems. Her story addresses this article’s central question: How does Whiteness operate in an ethnic studies course? Eleven vignettes trace Abby’s critical consciousness development within and beyond this course. Relying on Paris and Alim’s (2014, 2017) culturally sustaining pedagogy and McCarty and Lee’s (2014) culturally revitalizing pedagogy, I offer culturally disruptive pedagogy to argue that as educators, researchers, and community members seek ways to sustain and revitalize cultural practices, we must also consider the ways hegemonic norms—as perpetuated by ideologies of whiteness—require a needed disruption.

Teaching Note—Constructing Critical Conversations: A Model for Facilitating Classroom Dialogue for Critical Learning

ABSTRACTDiscussions of power and privilege, oppression, and structural inequities in classrooms can produce complex understanding and critical analysis when facilitated effectively. In this article we present the critical conversations model for facilitating conversations that open up space for discussing such issues and encourage the development of critical consciousness and reflection through experiential learning. The model provides flexible scaffolding for instructors to use to navigate their way through classroom tensions and capitalize on spontaneous learning opportunities. Theoretical underpinnings of the model are explained, followed by a description of the model. Implications for social work education and next steps are discussed.

Modeling Liberation: Audience, Ideology, and Critical Consciousness in S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

Analyzing the narrative structure of S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders reveals a previously unexplored reason for its continuing popularity. Through layering three implied audiences—young people like the protagonist, an English teacher, and readers of a novel—Hinton constructs a "space" outside the conceptual boundaries of classist ideology. In this way, the novel goes beyond social commentary to model the development of critical consciousness in ways that embody Paulo Freire's pedagogy of the oppressed, showing how classist ideology works to limit members of both higher and lower classes and inviting readers to participate in the protagonist's liberation.

Disembedding lawful activism in contemporary China: The confrontational politics of a green NGO’s legal mobilization

Recent legal reforms in China, particularly amendments in 2014 to the Environmental Protection Law, have encouraged environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) to embrace legal strategies in their advocacy. However, the wider significance of such strategies remains understudied and underestimated. This article examines one such example in Xiamen, Fujian Province, where an ENGO, incensed by the conversion of walkways into parking spaces, led the first administrative lawsuit in the name of ‘pedestrians’ rights’ (行人路权) in China in early 2015. Based on digital ethnography and participant observation, the case illustrates three salient points: first, legal mobilization is conflict-laden and confrontational; second, depoliticized legal actions belie the development of popular critical consciousness; and third, professional ties have become more instrumental than connections with state officials. The net result is then an embedded activism that evinces disembedding tensions. This questions conventional expectations over Chinese environmental activism, that it is non-confrontational and overdependent on personal relations with local officials. In addition to elucidating the disembedding processes and experiences absent in previous ENGO literature, this exploratory research offers a snapshot of lawful activism among environmentalists, illustrating the wider opportunities and challenges accompanying ‘the turn to law’.

Insider Without: Journey across the Working-Class Academic Arc

Patricia Hill Collins (1986) labels herself as an ‘outsider within’ due to her intersectional standpoint as a Black woman sociology professor in the ivory tower. In contrast to the ‘outsider within’ lens, I theorize my own social location as an ‘insider without’ due to a complex matrix of identities within the classed academic cultural context. Using counter storytelling, I explore my insider without location through analysis of my journey across the ‘working-class academic arc.’ In the working-class academic arc described below, I apply intersectional theory (Collins 1990; Crenshaw 1989) by connecting my personal experiences with existing working-class studies scholarship. The arc process culminates in my development of critical intersectional class consciousness and actions of resistance. By introducing this three-phase arc, I hope to raise awareness of the invisible academic class culture which invalidates working-class ways of being and knowledge production.

Experience and education in social field. Elements of analysis in a Freirian perspective

The article deals with the link between social dimension and educational action. First of all, the text addresses the actual crisis of the social dimension in the conditions of everyday life. The social dimension is consumed by the expansion of the political sphere, and of the private one. In order to rethink the educational work in the social contexts, it is necessary to adopt a critical perspective that – in the specific – is identified as the contribution of Freirian pedagogy. The latter is traditionally carachterized by a clear orientation towards personal, social and political change. In the Freirian perspective, the education consists in the process of “conscientization”, that is the development of critical awareness, and adopts ways of “problematization” and dialogue. The meaning of experience, and the fundamental principles of the Experiential Learning approach – that employ original contributions of the Freirian pedagogy – are, finally, assumed as basis for strategies and educational actions in the social dimension.

Critical consciousness of Secondary School Students: An Investigative Survey

The whole human race is travelling through an age of exploitation, social, political, economic, cultural and so on. All these ill-treatments influence the daily life of the common man as a considerable issue. Critical consciousness of a person significantly affects the situation. It enables man to critically analyze the structural oppression and to change inequalities within their sociopolitical environments (Freire, 1973, 1993) through critical reflection and critical action. At the same time it keeps them away from victimization. The society expects rattling renovations from the new generation which is the only way for structural improvement of the milieu. All that depends on the critical consciousness of the imminent generation. Hence the study focuses on the mensuration of critical consciousness of secondary school students who represent the impending generation. At the same time the study values the effectiveness of prevailing educational system of the state in developing critical consciousness as the system is said to be rooted in Freirian ideas and concepts and giving prominence to the development of critical consciousness. The present study attempts to chalk out the level of Critical Consciousness among secondary school students of Kerala. Survey method is adopted for the study. Sample constitutes 125 students of standard eighth. Critical consciousness Scale developed by the investigators is used for the data collection. The survey reveals mediocrity of Critical Consciousness among the secondary school students.

The social economy as produced space: the ‘here and now’ of education in constructing alternatives

This article approaches adult learning within the social economy through a critical and spatial lens. First, I approach the critical pedagogy of Freire, outlining the dialectical relationship between subjectivity and objectivity enacted in the development of critical consciousness. Carrying this dialogical argumentative forward, I go on to show how the critical geography of Lefebvre ‘unpacks’ this dialectic onto space and place, grounding pedagogical apprehension in a critical geography which is more directly set up to confront and engage with capitalism as a spatial force. Drawing from some of the social enterprise literature, I then utilise Lefebvre’s ‘spatial triad’ to demonstrate how the perceived, conceived and lived facets of space can shed light on integrative areas of adult learning that together constitute a platform for a potential ‘trial by space’ for alternatives.

Walking Back into Origins of My Stereotypes and Biases: Exploring Prospective Teachers’ Development of Cultural Critical Consciousness

Walking Back into Origins of My Stereotypes and Biases: Exploring Prospective Teachers’ Development of Cultural Critical Consciousness

“I thought it was just knowledge but it’s definitely a lot of guts”: Exploring Emotional and Relational Dimensions of Critical Consciousness Development

The development of critical consciousness (CC) is associated with a range of positive outcomes, including involvement in social action. In the current study, CC is defined as the highest level of socio-political-cultural historical consciousness (SPCHC). SPCHC reflects the range or extent to which an individual can interpret broad social, political, cultural, and historical forces and structures and how these affect individuals and groups to which a person may or may not belong. Additionally, SPCHC encompasses an efficacy that one can impact these structures and, critically, taking actions to change these forces. The SPCHC framework seeks to expand past models of CC by integrating an understanding of the emotional and relational dimensions of the developmental process. Qualitative research, including observations in an urban university capstone course and interviews with course participants, are used to explore and refine the model. Findings from the processes of awakening theme are presented and reflect course participants’ emotional and relational experiences in the course, and how these relate to their journey along the SPCHC continuum.

Abordagem Triangular em Diálogo com o Tempo: pegadas no passado, passos para o futuro

Este texto busca refletir sobre aspectos da tecnocultura que balizam na contemporaneidade a necessidade da promoção do desenvolvimento da consciência crítica de um novo estado da mente humana: a mente digital. Com o advento das tecnologias digitais, estabeleceram-se,outras formas de interações comunicacionais ascendendo à cultura digital, com práticas e costumes peculiares da cibercultura no cotidiano das pessoas que integram os diferentes discursos bem como a interconexão entre som, imagem e texto, ou seja, o advento da metalinguagem. Coloca-se, neste âmbito da tecnologia conceitual, que estabelece um novo estado da mente humana, a necessidade de ações e-arte/educativas em prol do desenvolvimento da mente digital autogovernativa através da artecibercultural e seu ensino. Esta perspectiva se ancora numa abordagem arte/educativa digital intitulada Sistema Triangular Digital, cujo sistema advém da derivação da Abordagem Triangular concebida e sistematizada por Ana Mae Barbosa.

Awakening, Efficacy, and Action: A Qualitative Inquiry of a Social Justice‐Infused, Science Education Program

AbstractThis article describes an innovative application of a social justice‐infused pedagogy to an out‐of‐school program for urban high school students. Using an interdisciplinary framework, the program featured a coherent synthesis of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, highlighting environmental and food justice perspectives; social justice education; and career and college planning. We used qualitative content analysis to analyze two separate interviews with six female and three male students of color ranging in age from 15 to 18 with an average age of 16.1 (SD=1.26) across an approximately 10‐month time span. Utilizing a model of critical consciousness development as our organizing framework, we explored the students’ understanding of environmental and food justice issues. Participants indicated that they were actively engaged in learning about food and environmental justice, exploring STEM careers, and investigating the various ways that social justice is manifested in their lives. Implications for social justice and STEM education interventions as well as broader public policies are discussed.

Developing a critical consciousness of race in place-based environmental education: Franco’s story

Environmental education (EE) has a history of support for critical place-based pedagogy as a means of learning through engagement in space, both cultural and biophysical. In this paper I tell the story of how Franco – a non-white, non-American undergraduate – engaged with local discourses in a watershed-focused EE program in the rural Midwestern US. I examine how the five tenets of critical race theory (CRT) can be used to interpret Franco’s experience, where he encountered multiple instances of racism and xenophobia. I argue that without a critical analysis of race in place-based EE programs, instructors may (a) privilege their own ways of knowing in local settings, (b) rely on ‘grit’ narratives as mechanisms for mediation of racism, and (c) send non-white students home having learned that they cannot effect meaningful change for sustainability. I conclude with recommendations for faculty in predominantly white institutions on how CRT might foster the development of critical consciousness of race in place-based EE programs.

Beyond Awareness: Black Studies for Consciousness and Praxis in Teacher Education

ABSTRACTCritical Studyin' is a Black Studies-inspired, morally engaged pedagogy. With roots in anti-racist teaching, it is focused on race, ideology, and education. This study explores the learning experiences and outcomes of seven, preservice educators after taking a course that was based on Critical Studyin' and offered in a College of Education at one university in the Southeastern region of the United States. Researchers employed constructivist grounded theory techniques to the analysis of semi-structured interviews and course documents. Findings highlight the development of students' critical consciousness and agency as they engaged in critical interrogation of the complex relationships among race, culture, and classroom teaching. This study highlights the potential of Black Studies as a pedagogy teacher educators can enact to orchestrate disruptive learning experiences and environments necessary for anti-racist teaching. It adds further support for culture-centered approaches in educator preparation that scaffolds preservice educators in their development of justice-oriented perspectives and practices in education.

Developing Critical Curiosity in Adolescents

ABSTRACTCritical consciousness refers to the ways in which individuals come to understand and challenge oppressive social forces. Philosopher-educator Paulo Freire argued that critical curiosity—an eagerness to learn more about and develop a deep understanding of issues of social justice—serves as an important catalyst to critical consciousness development. Yet, relatively little scholarship has considered how to foster critical curiosity in adolescents. The present qualitative study analyzed semi-structured interviews with 60 adolescents attending five Northeastern urban charter high schools with mission statements focused on fostering students' engagement in social action. Specifically, the study considered these students' perceptions of the impact of their respective schools' social engagement programming upon their critical curiosity. The interviews were analyzed using a flexible inductive/deductive approach drawn from the thematic analysis approach to qualitative analysis. The findings of this study indicate that students had a variety of conceptions of what stimulates their critical curiosity, including relevance, exposure to new perspectives, and receiving new, surprising information. Alignment with Freire's conceptions of critical curiosity and current curiosity scholarship, implications for educators, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Workplace learning as a spiritual practice

This paper reviews the literature on workplace and transformational learning to explore how spirituality can be accessed to encourage individual growth through the development of critical awareness while providing a sense of direction in the workplace as part of organisational learning. In communities and societies where organisations may have replaced religious institutions as centres for adult learning, the workplace continues to respond to the universal need for community and support. These elements are related to spiritual values. Still, leaders of organisations need to consider values that underlie typical workplace activities and recognise how collective engagement and workplace interactions direct personal development and ground identity. Providing opportunities to reflect on meaning and direction at work supports a transformative approach to learning and leadership that promotes cooperative working conditions, conscious behaviour and informed citizenship through encouraging attitudes of critical awareness, praxis and collective engagement in workplace interaction.

Investigating Adolescents' Critical Consciousness Development through a Character Framework.

Brazilian philosopher-educator Paulo Freire defined critical consciousness as the ability to engage in reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it. A growing body of research has found that critical consciousness is predictive of a number of important academic and civic outcomes in adolescents from oppressed groups. The present mixed methods study considered the critical consciousness development of 335 adolescents (57% female, 92% African American or Latinx) attending urban secondary schools that sought to foster their students' critical consciousness, but featured five different pedagogical approaches. We hypothesized that considering these adolescents' critical consciousness development through a character lens would highlight ways in which different schooling models contribute differentially to their students' development of the intellectual, performance, and civic dimensions of critical consciousness. Longitudinal analyses revealed significant differences in the critical consciousness development of adolescents attending different schooling models along these dimensions. Interviews with adolescents and field work conducted at their schools offered insight into the programming and practices that may have contributed to these differences in students' critical consciousness development.