Your post is provocative in its fearlessness to announce and denounce the injustice of physical, biological, and cultural genocide.  What elementary and secondary education is missing is this fearlessness to confront marginalized histories – particularly that of indigenous groups. In Canada, I believe that the fear stems from having to acknowledge the country’s dark past, which challenges the current international perception of Canada as a diverse, accepting, peace keeping nation.  Education that probes the issues beneath the surface reveals a more complex understanding of the nation that, if explored, in my opinion, would not tarnish our respectable international image but better serve this image by displaying the progress that has been made and outlining the work that still needs to be done.

 A short comment on your first question: critical pedagogy is not successful without taking into account the multilogical systems of oppression. This includes race, gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, etc.  Work that is being done under the banner of critical pedagogy that is ahistorical cannot be considered within this field of study.  Individuals cannot begin their journey into teaching the tenets of critical pedagogy without examining the impacts of colonialism on all oppressed groups of peoples.  In your response to John’s post, you say that we as educators must challenge our students to understand the importance of a collective understandings of humanity. I believe that we must reestablish the importance of human relationships and community building in order for the next generation to sympathize with people different from themselves. In North America, we live in an increasingly individualistic society, which challenges the concept of social justice because of its individualistic nature.  When youth are discouraged from healthy relationship building with other people and nature because of the neo-liberal values that seep into our system of education, they are left to discover the suffering of the oppressed from alternative sources.  I know that I did.

Within relatively few discussions on hegemonic ideologies or practices surrounding racial issues, because of its own monocultural background in my country, I used to be exposed to media winning the commonsense that the white's good and the black's demonized. Knowing that all the stereotypes and absurd discriminations on black people are referents to be questioned and confronted, I personally didn't understand the main concept of white supremacy well enough at firsthand. However, one day in my MA class several years ago, I was engaged in a certain discussion on contextualizing, localizing, situating ourselves as teacher researchers. What we had as problematic in the discussion was the necessity to improve working conditions for Southeast Asians residing in my country as working class. They, from poorer countries and have darker skin than us, were enduring discriminated, sometimes inhuman treatments in many workplaces. I believe that theories are not out there where we can't reach. Awareness of theories on social justice is a big step forward, but I sometimes think just being nice, not naively but by understanding power dimensions in reality, to people next to us can be the first step to contextualize us and transform the world for the better.  

"Many of us, regardless of positionality, who do critical pedagogy, do it on lands stained with the blood, tears, and loss of over 500 years of physical, biological, and cultural genocide. "

I don't hold much affinity for math, but it's interesting how colonization is almost formulaic...one that has been used time and time again very effectively; taking advantage of indigenous rivalries to help one side exterminate the other and then exterminating the former ally + setting forth a feeling of indigenous inferiority vs colonizer supremacy + missionization + land grab + eradicating indigenous language, land, culture and replacing with (English, White Supremacy and Christianity) + converting the next generation to 'wannabes'...

I'm probably missing other parts of the formula, but you get the point; this precise formula has been applied before and continues to be applied today in various parts of the world with extremely lethal effectiveness.  To think that effects of colonization have permeated some areas so deeply that even when they are "liberated" from physical colonization, their mentality is still imprisoned.

As Shirley has said (many times), and goes along with Red Pedagogy: indigenous scholars themselves have to lead the charge - but to do so, they need to realize that they are colonized first!

Hello Curry,

Very profound blog that you posted, it was enlightening to read.  You have opened up a whole other world; I was just recently introduced to the intricate ideas of critical pedagogy in a summer class with Shirley and now you have taken it a step even further. 

In a class about Whiteness, taught by Paul Carr, who actually bogs on this site, it was discussed that the only way to truly reflect and empathize with the oppressed is to put yourself completely in their situation.  Although this would be an extremely difficult thing to do one can potentially imagine the situation to such an extent.  Unfortunately, an example that would be out of some peoples means would be to travel to a place where you yourself would be in a minority position.  The only way to honestly understand how the oppressed feel is to put yourself in the same place.

Conducting critical pedagogy "without the recognition of the land underneath our feet" as you so put it, is a hoax in my opinion.  I think that the only way to truly be critical pedagogically is to start with the roots of truth and build from that.  History is the true story and tells the reality of the land, of the past and of the human culture.  Looking back on history is the way to identify mistakes that have been made in order to develop appropriate understandings and solutions. 

DS

Hey Curry,

Well I definitely agree to that, it can never be the same especially with regards to the white privilege that white people go through life having.  I do think however, that such an experience can at least spark a thought or 'get the ball rolling' in the minds of the people who so desire a deeper understanding.  I myself, being a white male in North America never really thought twice about Whiteness until I read The Great White North? (Paul Carr and Darren Lund).  Reading this book simply started the thought process and I know that I am a long way from truly understanding what it is that the oppressed go though each and every day.  Experiences are a must for individuals to empathize, relate and desire a change. 

Lynda da Silveira

Graduate Student - McGill University

I totally agree to the concept about false tolerance you brought up. Thanks for reminding me of that! As one example, I once noticed that some people in my city were whispering to each other when they saw black people walking beside them. They smiled, but I overheard their conversation where they were saying that the blacks indeed look dirty and pathetic. Another example is when I used to watch some teachers who don’t understand the socio-political, economic contexts where their students are, naively saying to their students that they can be successful if they study hard no matter how harshly that society is competitive. What I meant about being nice was a possible practice to accept difference, not basing one’s opinion on someone else’s worth because of skin color or social status, not upholding hypocritical smiles which never can challenge the status quo. Knowing and critiquing assumptions, stereotypes, oppressions, discriminations, or false hope created by hidden curricula from the powerful, the dominant are very important and fundamental. However, critical actions accompanied with the awareness and reflection should be vitalized through genuinely tolerating policy and praxis. Thank you again for engaging me with your thoughtful blog!

First, when we romanticize, we tend to reproduce the hierarchy of civilizations paradigm that positions "Western," European-based, industrial, capitalism as the most advanced stage of human evolution.

What's fascinating is how this notion is wholly bought by those who are oppressed...an inferiority complex...and then, as mentioned by Shirley many times, they tend to start policing themselves and competing with one another to attain the "advanced stage of human evolution" - oftentimes people "advance" by putting another down...

Another thing related to this is what Edward Said talks about re: Orientalism - how 'the East' is lumped together and 'romanticized' as a mysterious, primitive and exotic place - the images are consistently attributed to all places, whether it be China or South Asia or the Middle East.  There are countless examples of this, but one small one that struck me is how the Perso-Arab 'Aladdin' is a Western construct; in the original story of 'Ala-ud-Din, as written in the Book of One Thousand and One Nights, takes place somewhere in China (and partially in North Africa); 'Aladdin' is actually a Chinese boy...yet popularized as a Perso-Arab character.  Now, this might seem innocent and simply be a re-telling of an ancient tale, but I would be willing to propose that perhaps there is more to it when it was initially changed; not necessarily sinister, but on a sub-conscious level, thinking that there isn't much of a difference between all of those places in the East...

Another aspect to consider in this conversation might be how we are the "others" of the others (this idea comes not from critical pedagogy but from the spanish singer Juan Manuel Serrat). I remember in Argentina, while after the military dictatorship everything argentinian was "in" and it became fashionable to rant against the multinationals and U.S. "buying" national resources through their "privatization" initiatives, the same people who bashed the colonial attitude of the u.s. were those who perpetuated colonialist power over aboriginals and other oppressed populations. This is to say we are not always aware of how we function on different levels in contradictory ways, adding power to what Freire calls the quest for consistency. I think this idea of Freire's doesn't mean we have to be perfect, but rather that we have to question ourselves and hold ourselves accountable for our inconsistencies and mistakes, and for the ways in which we contribute to injustice. To connect to Myunghee's example, one could (and I am not at all saying you did this, of course!) complain about the presence of western students representing hegemonic influence on an institution and at the same time strive to behave in the most "western" ways possible through fashion, speech and other cultural expressions. Another thing to think about is how the students get blamed for taking the western-as-superior attitudes to the host countries, but in fact they are being used by institutions and corporations as "ambassadors" to accomplish just that. In a way, once they succeed in indoctrinating western students at home on the superiority of their culture, they send them out to spread the message.  Here is a relevant personal anecdote: in high-school i was an AFS international student in Kansas City (me and Dorothy...). People in the school thought that I was unable to communicate with my family, that Argentina was a province of Brazil, that there were no laundry machines in Argentina and we washed our clothes in the river... I felt like a powerful educator, as a 16 year old, opening my peers' eyes to a world they did not know at all! However, i wish i had also been able to show them how to access the same information without being patronizing and offensive in the way they posed their "questions" or more often, their ignorant comments. This is where a pedagogy for the oppressors becomes necessary and important...

A very thought provoking blog! I am a white middle class female who did not give much thought to “oppressive issues”. I was aware of the issues however since it did not touch me directly it was not something that I thought about. 

 July 21, 2008<!--StartFragment-->

Well, I am looking forward to the next two weeks learning about Media Literacy with fellow educators. As I reflect on my own life, I realize I am pretty much media illiterate and unaware of the impact media has had and continues to have on my life. I also realize my student’s need me to be informed in order to help them make more informed decisions.

A couple of thoughts came to my mind today during class especially when Shirley talked about the impact media has had on young girls. I thought of the many times I have had to ‘chat’ with my girls about their choice of clothing for school. The pajama pant and tiny tank top phase is finally over, but now it is the short-short skirts and tiny tank tops with the bra and midriff exposed. I teach elementary school children, yet they look like street workers, however according to them they look like the girls from the Pussy Cat Dolls!

The other moment I thought about was when I had my ‘just turned’ 4-year-old goddaughter come over for her very first sleepover. Her parents and I were unsure if she would make it through the night so I suggested she bring something to make her feel at home. Well, the Dora pillow, Dora sleeping bag, Dora backpack, her High School Musical pajamas, socks, sippy cup and bowl all came along with her. With my truck full of belongings to make her feel at home, we headed to my place to watch High School Musical 1 and 2, and then play Dora games.

I wonder…what have we done to our children? Looking forward to hearing other stories, comparing notes and working towards dealing with the impact media has on children and us! I believe it’s needed now more than ever. 

<!--EndFragment-->

I have enjoyed reading this blog, thanks to everyone who has contributed to it.  I am a recent graduate in elementary education and was also recently ‘turned on’ to critical pedagogy and especially inspired by the work of Paulo Freire. 

I grew up in a generation where tolerance of difference was really emphasized at school.  As mentioned in an earlier comment in the blog, tolerance presumes that you sort of ‘put up with’ people who are different from you in a sort of political correct ‘nice’ way because you have to, however, biases or prejudices towards differences may still remain. Teaching people to simply be tolerant is superficial. It does not lend itself to any sort of deeper reflection about how students view differences.  In my opinion, tolerating someone means that you don’t really have to listen to them or respect them and thus you never really engage with them in any sort of meaningful way.  A paradigm shift can never occur unless people have the knowledge and skills to really be able to listen to each other. 

I think being able to listen to each other in a respectful and democratic way would allow people to come to new understandings about themselves, others and the world.  This is an essential component of any kind of paradigm shift or revolutionary change.  In Pedagogy of Freedom, Freire calls this “democratic listening” (p. 107) and he states that “listening democratically” (p. 107) involves listening patiently and critically without prejudice and bias.  He points out that humility is a key requirement for “democratic listening” (p. 107).  Teaching humility involves confronting our own views of superiority that in turn make other views feel inferior.  This allows us to deeply reflect on our own prejudices and biases that may affect our capacity to really listen to others.  How can transformation occur if we are unable to listen to each other?  I do not believe that any paradigm shift could occur unless we start listening and engaging with others in meaningful ways.  We cannot listen or engage with others in meaningful ways unless we have the necessary knowledge and skills to reflect on, and to confront, our own prejudices, biases and supremacy towards other people.  Perhaps if humility rather than tolerance was taught to students at a young age, our students would be able to be patient, critical and democratic listeners and this would produce patient, critical and democratic thinkers which would produce patient, critical and democratic actors in, and transformers of, the world rather than, as quoted from Curry, students who are “passive, obedient, wage-workers and blind supporters of the hegemony of the settler-states of Canada, US and Mexico”.

As an educator, I have to figure out how to integrate these ideas into my daily teaching practice for students at a primary or junior level.  I think this will be my greatest challenge as a budding new critical educator and it will most likely require a lot of humility on my part.