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Home  What I Offer Critical Theory FAQs
FAQs
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No it isn't. Criticising is easy. Anybody can criticise. But criticising from a Critical Theory viewpoint is quite different. First of all it requires a theoretical base. It isn't enough to say situation "x" is bad. You have to be able to say WHY it is bad, and to give examples that show its badness. In Critical Theory, these arguments are usually grounded in the social, cultural, economic and political issues of everyday life. Furthermore, Critical Theory draws connections between these things in its explanations. It shows the relationships that exist between power and knowledge, between the economics of capitalism and world poverty etc. The point about having a theroretical base in Critical Theory is so that it can be challenged and tested in the light of everyday life.
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Q. What is Critical Theory? A. Critical Theory is a socio/political theory linked to Marxism and closelty related to Cultural Studies. It seeks to bring about social change, not by armed revolution, but by theorising and understanding how existing power structures resist change. It is closely aligned with the field of Contemporary Cultural Studies. It developed in Germany in the 1930s in response to the rise of Fascism and sought to explain the failure of Marxism to bring about social change. It challenges received notions of reality, seeking to demonstrate the ways in which our conceptions are socially constructed (see Glossary). Critical Theory is reflexive that is, it is aware that the “reality” that we experience “out there” does not exist independently of ideology, but that it is shaped (along with our perceptions of it) by forces of power and hegemony (see Glossary) that have a human agency. These forces continually try to control all the means of shaping society and its belief systems - Education, the Media, Religion, the Law, The Church, Planning Regulations, the Economy etc. They do so to reproduce their own version of reality, their own economic, social and cultural supremacy - their hegemony. Critical Theory views all beliefs, realities, values etc. in their social and economic context and asks, “Who stands to gain from society seeing things this way?” It then looks to discover how the beneficiaries of the system have created, shaped and maintained that system to benefit themselves at the expense of others. In other words, Critical Theory investigates the structures and processes of power and oppression that lie masked behind the common realities of everyday life. It tries to reveal how these continue to predominate and what we need to do to achieve greater social equity and justice.
Critical Theory has had a wide-ranging impact in a number of academic disciplines, and bears a close relationship with the field of Cultural Studies (see Glossary). This is because, unlike orthodox Marxism (see Glossary), it recognises the power of culture in the shaping of everyday reality. Orthodox Marxism relied upon an analysis of Class Conflict and Economic factors alone to explain the social dynamics of social change. Critical Theory, then, is predominantly concerned with the issue of cultural struggle as the major social dynamic, while still acknowledging the importance of the ownership of the means of production, ie, Economics (see Glossary) as a very significant variable in determining cultural forms and power.
The remarkable thing about Critical Theory is that it demystifies the ambiguities, conflicts and misunderstandings of social relations, and the ways in which they operate in everyday life. It has also proved to be a very powerful tool for understanding the social and political dynamic of a wide range of different disciplines like Education, and its role in maintaining the status quo power in society. Critical Theory helps to cast a demystifying light on all aspects of knowledge. In this website you will find references to and examples of Critical Theory in such diverse fields as Architecture, Tourism, Psychology, Cultural and Economic Sustainability, Performing Arts, Space Planning, Aesthetics and Education.  Critical Theory of Aesthetics In this capacity (in Education) it is also able to guide Programme Development in all of these other areas of knowledge towards ways of educating that are more socially, culturally and economically sustainable. It suggests, for instance, that the traditional academic separation between Theory and Practice is created and maintained to inhibit social change, and that they are both necessary components of a transformative Critical Practice. This leads to new ways of thinking about Education that are more fiscally sustainable, while at the same time engaging students in the real and important issues that confront them in everyday life.
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Q. Why Should I Be Interested? A. The literature on Critical Theory is extensive.
There are innumerable books and articles that tell about its history, its meanings, its relevance and significance, its effectiveness as an analytical tool. Almost all of these publications and references note the crucial relationship between Critical Theory and Critical Practice – a relationship often called praxis. But very few writers or critical theoreticians give examples of Critical Practice, examples of what to actually do to make social change more than a pipe dream. In Critical Education Theory, for instance, there are a large number of analytical works which describe why and how the system of education functions to prevent social, cultural or economic change from becoming a reality in the classroom and beyond, but there are very few concrete examples described that would actually assist the teacher in his or her day to day efforts to develop a transformative pedagogy. Notable exceptions include Ira Shor and Paulo Freire the “grandfather” of the movement. Beyond that, however one can point to few instances or examples of Critical Pedagogy (see Glossary ) in practice. In particular, there is a distinct lack of practice guidelines that can be matched to specific theories. This seems odd, considering the explicit linkage between theory and practice within Critical Theory itself. |
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Q. What's So Special About Critical Theory? A. Critical Theory is socio-political theory concerned with issues of social equity and justice. In Education, it helps us to understand why minority students fail in the system. Its suggests ways in which education might be transformed to be more socially and culturally appropriate and sustainable. In design it allows us to understand why the built environement is the way it is and why poverty contiunues to be an urbanm blight. In psychology it informs us why minorities and subordinated groups fill the prisons and mental hospitals and suggests ways of changing this. Finally, it offers a way of improving social and cultural relations in everyday life by demystifying normative preconceptions.
Q. How Can I Find Out More? A. There are a number of useful links on this site. The site itself also contains a large number of theoretical and practical examples of critical Theory in use that you can download. You can also contact me here for more information. Alternatively, I am available for lectures, seminars or workshops or as a consultant on Critical Theory and Practice. To find out more, click here.
Finally, if you would like to be part of an ongoing discussion group regarding Critical Theory or Critical Practice click here . |
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