critical influencers
Stephen Brookfield: Brookfield instilled in me high levels of critical thought as it relates to my practice as an adult educator. His four lenses theory challenges me to constantly seek out ways in which to appraise my work. It asks me to critically reflect on my actions through various channels so that I might recognize biases as they manifest. He also challenges me to break free from self-oppression for this is exactly what the status quo wants. Finally, Brookfield stands out as an individual unafraid to ask what it is we, as educators, do to perpetuate oppressive systems.
Michel Foucault: While some argue Foucault was unnecessarily negative and/or exaggerative in his critiques of society, I believe he was a keen observer of relationships between power and oppression at the hands of institutional forces. He was fully aware of the dire nature of the human experience. I certainly do not agree with everything Foucault wrote, though his ability to force me to reconsider things I believed true will always be appreciated.
Paolo Freire: A luminary in adult education, Freire makes my list due to his focus on helping oppressed groups find their voice through emancipatory dialogue and his commitment to radical social change. Additionally, Freire helped open my eyes to the ways in which traditional education systems are used as tools of the hegemon. His criticism of transactional education models and the call for reimagined teacher-learner structures also stand out. And as a Marxist, Freire demonstrates the power in collective action aimed at freeing us from oppressive ideology.
bell hooks: hooks' works taught me the power of not taking myself so seriously. The humility in which she reflects on her experiences and frames her work through the lens of the learner is something I strive to emulate, and her focus on education as a critically liberating exercise stands out for its inclusiveness. hooks also has the rare skill of being simultaneously direct and empathetic. This, in my opinion, is a core component in emancipatory dialogue.
Antonio Gramsci: If there is one thing Gramsci instilled in me, it is the understanding state institutions serve as devices which conspire to maintain an oppressive status quo. Through his writings (and subsequent interpretations), I gained newfound understandings of how ideology can replace or augment overt forms of coercion to keep marginalized groups from realizing liberation.
Max Horkheimer: Throughout Horkheimer's writings, I am struck by his ability to articulate the ways in which the working class might realize power (not reclaim, as power is something the working class has never truly possessed) in a capitalist society. Of particular note is the concept of "ideology critique" which seeks to challenge dominant systems of thought as tools of the hegemon.
Herbert Marcuse: Woven into the essence of Marcuse's works is the belief capitalism alienates. Consumerism leads to the repression of the working class through the commodification of labor. Workers produce to consume, gauging success and happiness through the acquisition of the products they create for the profit of others. It is vapid, thoroughly unfulfilling and bereft of critical thought. Upon reflection, this is a powerful lens through which to view modernity.
- Brookfield, S. (1987). Developing critical thinkers: Challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Brookfield, S. (2005). The power of critical theory: Liberating adult learning and education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Michel Foucault: While some argue Foucault was unnecessarily negative and/or exaggerative in his critiques of society, I believe he was a keen observer of relationships between power and oppression at the hands of institutional forces. He was fully aware of the dire nature of the human experience. I certainly do not agree with everything Foucault wrote, though his ability to force me to reconsider things I believed true will always be appreciated.
- Foucault, M. (1980). Power/knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings, 1972-1977. New York, NY: Pantheon.
Paolo Freire: A luminary in adult education, Freire makes my list due to his focus on helping oppressed groups find their voice through emancipatory dialogue and his commitment to radical social change. Additionally, Freire helped open my eyes to the ways in which traditional education systems are used as tools of the hegemon. His criticism of transactional education models and the call for reimagined teacher-learner structures also stand out. And as a Marxist, Freire demonstrates the power in collective action aimed at freeing us from oppressive ideology.
- Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum.
- Freire, P. (1998). Teachers as cultural workers: Letters to those who dare teach. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
bell hooks: hooks' works taught me the power of not taking myself so seriously. The humility in which she reflects on her experiences and frames her work through the lens of the learner is something I strive to emulate, and her focus on education as a critically liberating exercise stands out for its inclusiveness. hooks also has the rare skill of being simultaneously direct and empathetic. This, in my opinion, is a core component in emancipatory dialogue.
- hooks, b. (1981). Ain't I a woman?: Black women and feminism. Boston: South End Press.
- hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. New York, NY: Routledge.
- hooks, b. (2010). Teaching critical thinking: Practical wisdom. New York, NY: Routledge.
Antonio Gramsci: If there is one thing Gramsci instilled in me, it is the understanding state institutions serve as devices which conspire to maintain an oppressive status quo. Through his writings (and subsequent interpretations), I gained newfound understandings of how ideology can replace or augment overt forms of coercion to keep marginalized groups from realizing liberation.
- Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the prison notebooks. Hoare, Q., & Smith, G.N. (Eds.). New York, NY: International Publishers.
Max Horkheimer: Throughout Horkheimer's writings, I am struck by his ability to articulate the ways in which the working class might realize power (not reclaim, as power is something the working class has never truly possessed) in a capitalist society. Of particular note is the concept of "ideology critique" which seeks to challenge dominant systems of thought as tools of the hegemon.
- Horkheimer, M. (1947). Eclipse of reason. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
- Horkheimer, M. (2005). Critical theory: Selected essays. New York, NY: Continuum.
Herbert Marcuse: Woven into the essence of Marcuse's works is the belief capitalism alienates. Consumerism leads to the repression of the working class through the commodification of labor. Workers produce to consume, gauging success and happiness through the acquisition of the products they create for the profit of others. It is vapid, thoroughly unfulfilling and bereft of critical thought. Upon reflection, this is a powerful lens through which to view modernity.
- Marcuse, H. (2002). Toward a critical theory of society. New York: Routledge.
- Marcuse, H. (1968). Negations: Essays in critical theory. Boston: Beacon Press.