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Beyond Critique
" Features of this innovative text: "Introduces the primary people, concepts, and issues in the field of critical social theory, including Marx and Weber, Gramsci, the Frankfurt school and Habermas, Bourdieu, Foucault, feminism, and critical race theory.Accessibly written for students by a group of experienced educators and scholars who explain concepts using examples.Defines and broadly expands the critical social theory tradition.What is social theory, and what is critical about critical social theories? How can critical social theories enrich and illuminate our understanding of educational processes and thereby contribute to progressive social transformation? This book introduces educational practitioners, students, and scholars to the people, concepts, questions, and concerns that make up the field of critical social theory. It guides readers into a lively conversation about how education can and does contribute to reinforcing or challenging relations of domination in the modern era. Written by a group of experienced educators and scholars, in an engaging style, Critical Social Theories and Education introduces and explains the preeminent thinkers and traditions in critical social theory, and discusses the primary strands of educational research and thought that have been informed and influenced by them.An engaging introduction defines and situates critical social theory in relation to other kinds of social science and educational theories. A chapter on foundations and forerunners discusses the origins of a critical social theory tradition in the work of Karl Marx, Max Weber, G.H. Mead, and others. Full chapters explicate the life trajectories and key concepts of Antonio Gramsci, members of the Frankfurt School and Jurgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Foucault and post-structuralism, feminism, and critical race theory. These chapters also feature a section that traces and maps out some of the education scholarship employing these critical social theories with accompanying bibliographies as well as a section that more closely examines a few key examples of such scholarship, identifying the ways that critical social theory concepts get taken up in research. Finally, not content to limit the discussion to conventionally acknowledged critical theories, a final chapter, called Friendly critiques and fellow travelers, introduces and discusses a number of related theories, assessing their potential to contribute to education for social transformation. Among the theories discussed here are liberalism, pragmatism, world-systems, critical globalization and postcolonial theories, Latin American critical thought (liberation theology, dependency theory, Fals Borda and Freire, participatory democracy), deep ecology and spirituality, and practice-centered critiques of power (Flyvbjerg, Holland, Erickson).
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2010
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37 people want to read
About the author
Bradley A. Levinson
11 booksMy interests include student culture and identity formation at the secondary level, in Mexico and the United States; civic and citizenship education for democracy, especially in Latin America; the sociocultural practice of policy formation and implementation; critical social theories in education; transnational migration and education; and ethnographic research methods.
Bradley A. Levinson is a native of Los Angeles, California, and graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1984. He taught immigrant students at a middle school in San Diego for 2 years and then completed a doctorate in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina, in 1993. His dissertation research explored the construction of national identity, equality, and civic solidarity at a Mexican secundaria. Over the next several years, he completed follow-up research on Mexican youth identity formation, and eventually published his book, We Are All Equal: Student Culture and Identity at a Mexican Secondary School, 1988-1998 (2001, Duke University Press; translated and published as Todos somos iguales, 2002, Editorial Santillana, Mexico City).
Currently, Dr. Levinson is Professor of Education at Indiana University, with Adjunct or Affiliate appointments inAnthropology, Latino Studies, and Latin American Studies. He is also a proud father of 2 bilingual daughters, 6 and 8 years old (in 2011). Levinson specializes in ethnographic studies of youth and student culture, and reform processes, in secondary schooling; civic and citizenship education for democracy; the culture and politics of educational policymaking; and transnational migration and education. He has edited or co-edited a series of books, including: The Cultural Production of the Educated Person: Critical Ethnographies of Schooling and Local Practice (1996, SUNY Press); Schooling the Symbolic Animal: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Education (2000, Rowman and Littlefield), Policy as Practice: Toward a Comparative Sociocultural Analysis of Educational Policy (2001, Ablex), Reimagining Civic Education: How Diverse Societies Form Democratic Citizens (2007, Rowman and Littlefield) and Advancing Democracy through Education? U.S. Influence Abroad and Domestic Practices (2008, Information Age Publishing), A Companion to the Anthropology of Education (2011, Wiley-Blackwell), andBeyond Critique: Exploring Critical Social Theories and Education (2011, Paradigm). From 1999-2007, Dr. Levinson conducted team research on the integration of Latino newcomers to the state of Indiana (see research). He has also published on civic education in the International Journal of Educational Development, Theory and Research in Social Education, The Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, and Anthropology and Education Quarterly, as well as in numerous books and Spanish-language publications. Dr. Levinson was a founding editor of the Inter-American Journal of Education for Democracy, and for the academic year 2007-08, he held a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship, to study “democratic transition and civic education reform in Mexico.” He was on sabbatical for 2011-2012, serving as a Guest Professor at the Danish Pedagogical University-Aarhus University, Denmark, from Feb. 1-June 30, 2012.
Bradley A. Levinson is a native of Los Angeles, California, and graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1984. He taught immigrant students at a middle school in San Diego for 2 years and then completed a doctorate in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina, in 1993. His dissertation research explored the construction of national identity, equality, and civic solidarity at a Mexican secundaria. Over the next several years, he completed follow-up research on Mexican youth identity formation, and eventually published his book, We Are All Equal: Student Culture and Identity at a Mexican Secondary School, 1988-1998 (2001, Duke University Press; translated and published as Todos somos iguales, 2002, Editorial Santillana, Mexico City).
Currently, Dr. Levinson is Professor of Education at Indiana University, with Adjunct or Affiliate appointments inAnthropology, Latino Studies, and Latin American Studies. He is also a proud father of 2 bilingual daughters, 6 and 8 years old (in 2011). Levinson specializes in ethnographic studies of youth and student culture, and reform processes, in secondary schooling; civic and citizenship education for democracy; the culture and politics of educational policymaking; and transnational migration and education. He has edited or co-edited a series of books, including: The Cultural Production of the Educated Person: Critical Ethnographies of Schooling and Local Practice (1996, SUNY Press); Schooling the Symbolic Animal: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Education (2000, Rowman and Littlefield), Policy as Practice: Toward a Comparative Sociocultural Analysis of Educational Policy (2001, Ablex), Reimagining Civic Education: How Diverse Societies Form Democratic Citizens (2007, Rowman and Littlefield) and Advancing Democracy through Education? U.S. Influence Abroad and Domestic Practices (2008, Information Age Publishing), A Companion to the Anthropology of Education (2011, Wiley-Blackwell), andBeyond Critique: Exploring Critical Social Theories and Education (2011, Paradigm). From 1999-2007, Dr. Levinson conducted team research on the integration of Latino newcomers to the state of Indiana (see research). He has also published on civic education in the International Journal of Educational Development, Theory and Research in Social Education, The Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, and Anthropology and Education Quarterly, as well as in numerous books and Spanish-language publications. Dr. Levinson was a founding editor of the Inter-American Journal of Education for Democracy, and for the academic year 2007-08, he held a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship, to study “democratic transition and civic education reform in Mexico.” He was on sabbatical for 2011-2012, serving as a Guest Professor at the Danish Pedagogical University-Aarhus University, Denmark, from Feb. 1-June 30, 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 19, 2020
Good, but not good because it’s good. Good because it’s good at explaining something bad. But it’s not good at explaining how bad that something is. It’s good because it clearly shows why some think that bad thing is good.
Some tough slogging through academically loaded jargon at times, but if you want it straight from the horse's mouth, it's going to be slobbery.
Some tough slogging through academically loaded jargon at times, but if you want it straight from the horse's mouth, it's going to be slobbery.
March 9, 2021
Vapid and confusing, though, yes, somewhat informative. Often nonsensical, yet ceaselessly confident. Thoroughgoingly soul-crushing. (My brain might have shrunk a bit, and my eyes, no doubt, twitched often.) From “A Farewell” at the end: “We hope to have stimulated your intellect and energized your passion...” Surely, you can’t be serious.
September 13, 2021
Although the authors try to simplify, the book is still very academic and difficult to read at times. Overall helpful to understand critical theories on a deeper level. I would say the book keeps an almost unbiased stance towards CT.
One of the things critical theories seem to have in common is that they are all concerned with the liberation of the oppressed. It is either the oppressed themselves that are giving voice to those theories, as in the case of feminism and critical race theory, or someone giving voice for the oppressed as an outsider as in the case of Marxism criticising capitalism and defending the working-class. Critical theories seem to be the voice of those who have been hurt, dismissed, unnoticed, used and abused. It’s concerns are to critique the abuser and expose systems that are built to favour the dominating group and thus disfavour further disfavour the oppressed.
Another commonality of critical theories, as Bradley Levinsion mentions, is that they are often good at critiquing, but not as good at proposing a solution. At the same time, I think it is not always necessary to propose a solution. Critique and exposure of evil is already a certain solution. Awareness of evil helps set in motion mechanisms that will in time produce a solution. Disturbing the status quo is uncomfortable and painful, especially for the part of society that does not directly experience the painful consequences of the current state of affairs. Nevertheless, this uncomfortable situation is what starts the dialogue which eventually should lead to a solution.
One reason why critical theories are received with defence from the “traditional community” is that the critiquing voices are often aggressive and demanding, which is the same as in individual human relationships. We often speak hurtful words exactly because we are hurt. Just as in a marriage when the spouse is angry and expresses her feelings in a manner that is aggressive, it is natural for the other spouse to get defensive. The better and more constructive route however is to accept that the feelings expressed are legitimate, that their spouse is hurting without analysing the legitimacy of the pain. Setting aside the question of finding the guilty party and rather focusing on the hurting one is key.
As the church, we would do well to adopt the listening and acknowledging stance rather than defensiveness. It is hard to do if we understand ourselves as being on the same level with the ones critiquing us. Imagining that we are in an equal relationship leads to holding an expectation of equal treatment, a relationship of balanced giving and receiving and sometimes equal struggle. An example is the race issue. Kumasi mentions in his chapter on Critical Race Theory that there is an implicit assumption in the US that black and white people are on equal footing because of the theoretical and legal racial equality agreed upon decades ago; in practice however black people are underprivileged and discriminated against. Kumasi points out that being unaware of this practical privilege white people have over black, some blindly argue for a neutral approach to this issue, as if both groups were equal. Another example could be the LGBT discussion. If the church understands itself as being on equal footing with the LGBT supporters, the reasoning outcome is that there is an equal struggle of truth versus lie, sin versus light, moral versus immoral. If we see our footing as equal, the reasoning often results in an need to fight and prevail. However, if we understand ourselves as being more privileged, the need to struggle and fight is not present. There is no fear of being robed because we know we have everything in abundance. Eternal morals and truth can never be changed and do not need to be nationally approved in order to retain their truthfulness and power. The parent does not need to fight with the child. He is older, wiser, stronger (more privileged) and does not need to prove it to the child. When the parent sees the child hurting and therefore expressing himself in anger, critique and aggression towards the parent, he does not become defensive; he listens, soothes and heals. The New Testament is clear about the fact that believer are to understand their privilege and act accordingly. The parable of the prodigal son, shows the father’s seeking and forgiving heart as an example to Christ’s followers. The older brother is feeling mistreated when the fathers generosity falls upon the younger brother. The father explains that this disappointment is a result of the older brother misunderstanding his privilege “My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31). Jesus encourages his disciples “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” (Luke 12:32-33). Realising the privilege the disciples have in having the Father’s goodwill to give them the kingdom should free them from fear of protecting their own life and transform them into generous people. Similarly Paul often speaks of the blessedness of the believer being immensely higher than of a regular person” Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3). One of the blessings or benefits of critical theories to society and the church is that they challenge us to wake up to our inherent privilege. In the case of the church, I think accepting the critique and realising that we are privileged could lead to rediscovering a treasure long lost. It would mean recovering an abundant life that is rooted in the Lord of the universe rather than in civil rights and human riches. In other words, in the case of the church, critical theories not only benefit the oppressed by defending them, but also the dominant group, by reminding it of its true identity.
Another concept that was helpful - Bordieu’s theory (of habitus, field and capital) exemplified through the example of teaching Mexican students by Levinson made me think that the same could be true of the churches power for transformation. Just as the Mexican students, though trained to think of each other as equals during their schooling time, we’re not able to continue in this outlook later in life because of other dominant factors. Influences like family formation, economic and social capital have had such a strong influence on them that lasting change became not feasible for most. This insight has important implications for ministry as well. Just as in the case of schooling, the Christian believer will not be able to have a lasting transformation only though church service education. This highlights the need and importance of a Christianity to penetrate the everyday life and relationships of the believer. Ministers must use the time available for formal church education (e.g. Sunday service) strategically. An example of this might be exposing how concepts presented during the sermon apply to everyday life. Encouraging believers to not only listen but make it a critical task for themselves to apply the concepts of their relationships and day to day life. One of the common strengths of critical theories is that they tend to see systems more holistically because they have to explain why and how society came to function in a certain oppressive mode.
One of the things critical theories seem to have in common is that they are all concerned with the liberation of the oppressed. It is either the oppressed themselves that are giving voice to those theories, as in the case of feminism and critical race theory, or someone giving voice for the oppressed as an outsider as in the case of Marxism criticising capitalism and defending the working-class. Critical theories seem to be the voice of those who have been hurt, dismissed, unnoticed, used and abused. It’s concerns are to critique the abuser and expose systems that are built to favour the dominating group and thus disfavour further disfavour the oppressed.
Another commonality of critical theories, as Bradley Levinsion mentions, is that they are often good at critiquing, but not as good at proposing a solution. At the same time, I think it is not always necessary to propose a solution. Critique and exposure of evil is already a certain solution. Awareness of evil helps set in motion mechanisms that will in time produce a solution. Disturbing the status quo is uncomfortable and painful, especially for the part of society that does not directly experience the painful consequences of the current state of affairs. Nevertheless, this uncomfortable situation is what starts the dialogue which eventually should lead to a solution.
One reason why critical theories are received with defence from the “traditional community” is that the critiquing voices are often aggressive and demanding, which is the same as in individual human relationships. We often speak hurtful words exactly because we are hurt. Just as in a marriage when the spouse is angry and expresses her feelings in a manner that is aggressive, it is natural for the other spouse to get defensive. The better and more constructive route however is to accept that the feelings expressed are legitimate, that their spouse is hurting without analysing the legitimacy of the pain. Setting aside the question of finding the guilty party and rather focusing on the hurting one is key.
As the church, we would do well to adopt the listening and acknowledging stance rather than defensiveness. It is hard to do if we understand ourselves as being on the same level with the ones critiquing us. Imagining that we are in an equal relationship leads to holding an expectation of equal treatment, a relationship of balanced giving and receiving and sometimes equal struggle. An example is the race issue. Kumasi mentions in his chapter on Critical Race Theory that there is an implicit assumption in the US that black and white people are on equal footing because of the theoretical and legal racial equality agreed upon decades ago; in practice however black people are underprivileged and discriminated against. Kumasi points out that being unaware of this practical privilege white people have over black, some blindly argue for a neutral approach to this issue, as if both groups were equal. Another example could be the LGBT discussion. If the church understands itself as being on equal footing with the LGBT supporters, the reasoning outcome is that there is an equal struggle of truth versus lie, sin versus light, moral versus immoral. If we see our footing as equal, the reasoning often results in an need to fight and prevail. However, if we understand ourselves as being more privileged, the need to struggle and fight is not present. There is no fear of being robed because we know we have everything in abundance. Eternal morals and truth can never be changed and do not need to be nationally approved in order to retain their truthfulness and power. The parent does not need to fight with the child. He is older, wiser, stronger (more privileged) and does not need to prove it to the child. When the parent sees the child hurting and therefore expressing himself in anger, critique and aggression towards the parent, he does not become defensive; he listens, soothes and heals. The New Testament is clear about the fact that believer are to understand their privilege and act accordingly. The parable of the prodigal son, shows the father’s seeking and forgiving heart as an example to Christ’s followers. The older brother is feeling mistreated when the fathers generosity falls upon the younger brother. The father explains that this disappointment is a result of the older brother misunderstanding his privilege “My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31). Jesus encourages his disciples “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” (Luke 12:32-33). Realising the privilege the disciples have in having the Father’s goodwill to give them the kingdom should free them from fear of protecting their own life and transform them into generous people. Similarly Paul often speaks of the blessedness of the believer being immensely higher than of a regular person” Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3). One of the blessings or benefits of critical theories to society and the church is that they challenge us to wake up to our inherent privilege. In the case of the church, I think accepting the critique and realising that we are privileged could lead to rediscovering a treasure long lost. It would mean recovering an abundant life that is rooted in the Lord of the universe rather than in civil rights and human riches. In other words, in the case of the church, critical theories not only benefit the oppressed by defending them, but also the dominant group, by reminding it of its true identity.
Another concept that was helpful - Bordieu’s theory (of habitus, field and capital) exemplified through the example of teaching Mexican students by Levinson made me think that the same could be true of the churches power for transformation. Just as the Mexican students, though trained to think of each other as equals during their schooling time, we’re not able to continue in this outlook later in life because of other dominant factors. Influences like family formation, economic and social capital have had such a strong influence on them that lasting change became not feasible for most. This insight has important implications for ministry as well. Just as in the case of schooling, the Christian believer will not be able to have a lasting transformation only though church service education. This highlights the need and importance of a Christianity to penetrate the everyday life and relationships of the believer. Ministers must use the time available for formal church education (e.g. Sunday service) strategically. An example of this might be exposing how concepts presented during the sermon apply to everyday life. Encouraging believers to not only listen but make it a critical task for themselves to apply the concepts of their relationships and day to day life. One of the common strengths of critical theories is that they tend to see systems more holistically because they have to explain why and how society came to function in a certain oppressive mode.
July 24, 2021
This book is academic & dense as heck, but it helped to ground me in critical theory and, by extension, critical race theory. If you’re not somewhat well read in history & philosophy, you might it frustrating; however, if you’re going to wade into the CRT debate with any intellectual integrity, I think you have to give books like this an honest go.
From a Christian perspective, I would say CRT is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. It’s an analytic apparatus for understanding how & why sociological systems work, with an eye towards why those systems tend to advantage some & disadvantage others. Why wouldn’t we welcome these kinds of insights & discussions? Critical theory is only dangerous if it supplants the gospel, but in that vein, capitalism & meritocracy are equally dangerous.
From a Christian perspective, I would say CRT is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. It’s an analytic apparatus for understanding how & why sociological systems work, with an eye towards why those systems tend to advantage some & disadvantage others. Why wouldn’t we welcome these kinds of insights & discussions? Critical theory is only dangerous if it supplants the gospel, but in that vein, capitalism & meritocracy are equally dangerous.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews