Critical Pedagogy and the Trouble with Consciousness Raising

The book argues that consciousness-raising work in formal educational settings over the past three decades has largely failed to advance social justice. By critiquing consciousness raising as an end in itself, the author employs a Marxist framework to highlight how consciousness raising alone cannot alter material conditions and realities. Consequently, the book illustrates how many pedagogical projects fail to transcend the idealist realm and impact the material world. Advocating for a materialist critical pedagogy that revisits Freirean principles of praxis and dialogue, the author proceeds to outline a politics of redistribution to invigorate future critical educational projects. From examining how discourse functions ideologically to uphold the status quo, to exploring how determinisms limit our life chances and imaginations, the author demonstrates that the challenges in achieving socially just education are largely self-imposed.
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