Sabbatical Application – Teacher Education
Title of project: Politics of critical pedagogy and Social change
Abstract:
My sabbatical leave goal is to write a book on the politics of critical pedagogy and social
change. The fundamental aim of critical pedagogy is to construct schools and education
as a change agent. The book critically examines and synthesizes diverse perspectives and
approaches within critical pedagogy literature. There is a strong need for a philosophical
analysis of the field which will promote a broad macro-level understanding of the critical
pedagogy. The goals of the book are 1) to point out that the political projects of critical
pedagogy has been too narrowly focused on the individualized, moralized, and cultural
politics of differences, and 2) to call for the need to broaden the political projects of
critical pedagogy, by presenting new directions for feasible alternatives, by linking the
micro to the macro, the subject to the structure, the culture to the economy, and the local
to the global.
NARRATIVE:
(a) The significance of the work
The goal of my sabbatical leave is to write a book on the politics of critical
pedagogy and social change. Critical pedagogy, which emerged in the 1980s, is a
relatively new but growing field in education. The fundamental aim of critical pedagogy
is to construct schools and education as a change agent. Through schools, critical
pedagogy attempts to inspire consciousness and to promote action for social change. The
crucial question to ask is how we are going to achieve this rather high call for social
change. What does critical pedagogy present in order to promote social change? What
alternative visions of schooling does critical pedagogy offer against the mainstream
pedagogy? And what concrete projects does critical pedagogy provide in order to achieve
the fundamental social transformation? In short, what are the political projects of critical
pedagogy? This is the question that my book addresses.
The goal of the book is two-fold. First, the book critically examines and
synthesizes diverse ideas and perspectives within critical pedagogy literature. Critical
pedagogy has a wide and varying perspectives and approaches, mainly due to the
newness and an interdisciplinary nature of critical pedagogy. There is a strong need for a
philosophical analysis of the field which will promote a broad macro-level understanding
of the critical pedagogy as an academic discourse. The second goal of the book is to point
out that the political projects of critical pedagogy has been too narrowly focused on the
individualized, moralized, and cultural politics of differences. By doing so, the book calls
for the need to broaden the political projects of critical pedagogy, and presents new
directions for feasible alternatives, by linking the micro to the macro, the subject to the
structure, the culture to the economy, and the local to the global.
My book project makes an original contribution to the field in two significant
ways: first, by the question my book addresses (what are the political projects of critical
pedagogy?), and second, by the method I employ (political economy). In order to
highlight how my book contributes to the field, I will briefly review the literature in
critical pedagogy. The literature in critical pedagogy can be classified into three
categories: the theoretical, the pedagogical, and the political (e.g., McLaren & Kincheloe,
2007). The first category focuses on critical theories which constitute the foundation of
critical pedagogy, such as the Frankfurt Critical Theory, Gramsci, Althusser,
poststructural theories, postmodern theories, feminist theories, and postcolonial theories
(Lather, 1991; Zavarzadeh & Morton, 1994; McLaren, 1995; Morrow & Torres, 2002;
Kincheloe, 2004). The second category focuses on micro-level pedagogy, on what to
teach and how to teach, with the aim to explore more democratic and critical forms of
knowledge, and more democratic pedagogical arrangements and school culture (Shor,
1992; hooks, 1994; Rethinking Schools, 1994; McLaren, 1997; Elenes, 2003; Wrigley,
2006). The third category of literature is critical analysis on issues, problems and policies
that influence the policies and practices of education (e.g., Darder, Altodano, & Torres,
2003), covering issues like global capitalism (Allman, 2001; McLaren, 2005; Apple,
Kenway, & Singh, 2005), neo-liberalism (Apple, 2001; Giroux, 2004; McLaren &
Jaramillo, 2007), race (Leonardo, 2002, 2005; Darder & Torres, 2004; Allen, 2004;
Grande, 2004; Watkins, 2005; Bernal, et al, 2006), gender and sexuality (Weiler &
Mitchell, 1992; Luke & Gore, 1992; Macdonald & Sancher-Casal, 2002; Fine, 2003), and
urban schools (Anyon, 2005; Duncan-Andrade & Morrell, 2008).
First, my study is unique in the very question it takes up. Somewhat surprisingly,
there exists no study which synthesizes and critically analyzes the political projects of
critical pedagogy as a whole, as my study aims to do – on what alternatives critical
pedagogy presents, and what kinds of politics inform and underlie the critical pedagogy.
Most studies, as reviewed above, focus on a single dimension (e.g., globalization, race, or
a Frankfurt school). My book, somewhat ambitiously, is a meta-analysis of all
dimensions of critical pedagogy, with a single focus on the very idea of critical pedagogy
as a change agent or as a “language of possibility” (Giroux, 1997).
Second, my study is unique in its method/approach: historical analysis and
political economy. In the 1990s, there were serious debates on the question of whether
and how critical pedagogy could be power-free and genuinely empowering. These
debates were basically back-and-forth exchanges between Neo-Marxism and
poststructuralism, in the form of feminist poststructuralists (Ellsworth, 1989; Luke &
Gore, 1992; Lather, 1992, 1998) criticizing the critical pedagogy theories which were
dominated by male neo-Marxists (Shor, 1992; Giroux, 1988; McLaren, 1988). In essence,
this was a theoretical level of discussion focusing on which theory (neo-Marxism or
poststructuralism) is a better theoretical framework for critical pedagogy. Unlike this
abstract theoretical approach, my book analyzes the real alternative political projects
(what should schools/education do?), by employing political economy and historical
analytical method. I will examine critical theories that have shaped how critical pedagogy
has evolved and formulated its political positions within the larger historical context of
economic, political, social, and cultural changes.
(b) A basic description of the proposed work
The book starts with the historical origin of critical pedagogy, in order to give a
full understanding of why and how critical pedagogy emerged in the 1980s (Chapter 1).
Then, Chapter 2 and 3 examine what kinds of alternatives are presented by critical
pedagogy, and identify three broad politics which underlie critical pedagogy: the Cultural
politics, the Self/Identity politics, and the Grassroots politics. Chapter 4 seeks to
understand how these three politics have become dominant within critical pedagogy, by
showing that the three politics are in line with and influenced by the New Social
Movements. Chapter 5 focuses on the Cultural politics, which is the most predominant
politics in critical pedagogy, and examines why culture came to the forefront of academic
studies and of the Left politics. Chapter 6 lays out how the cultural politics are
conceptualized and utilized in critical pedagogy by teasing out multiple layers of different
levels/dimensions. Chapters 7-8 seek to provide alternatives projects for critical
pedagogy. Chapter 7 overviews several anti-systemic alternatives presented by several
theorists - social democracy (Bowles & Gintis, 1998), localist/autarky approach (Mies,
1986), global socialism (Amin, 1997; Harvey, 2000), and universal humanism
(Habermas, 2001), and earth democracy/sustainability (Shiva, 2005). It highlights some
fundamental contentions within these alternatives. Based on that analysis, the last chapter
lays out some basic principles and future directions for critical pedagogy.
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Political projects of critical pedagogy
Chapter 3. Language of Possibility
Chapter 4. New Social Movements
Chapter 5. Political economy of cultural politics
Chapter 6. Cultural politics of critical pedagogy
Chapter 7. Anti-systemic Alternatives
Chapter 8. Alternative politics for critical pedagogy
(c) Previous work in the area of the project
This book project grew out from my teaching in the Critical Pedagogy doctoral
program and in the Educational Leadership doctoral program. I was fortunate to be able
to teach critical social theories and critical pedagogy courses for many years. These
courses cover a wide range of critical theories, from Marxism, post-structuralism, postmodernism, post-colonialism, feminism, to critical race theories. In addition, I have been
actively engaged in critical pedagogy, by organizing public presentations by three
distinguished critical pedagogists (Drs. Sandy Grande, Zeus Leonardo, and William
Watkins). I, with Dr. John Holst, also developed a master certificate in critical pedagogy,
and have been teaching master level course in critical pedagogy. This book will be very
helpful in continuing and enhancing my teaching and my professional development. I
planned this book project about three years ago, and have been writing and publishing
chapters as separate essays. So far, I wrote three essays - two are published and one is
accepted for publication (see Curriculum Vitae). With some revisions, these essays will
be Chapters 2-5. A draft of Chapter 7 (Anti-systemic alternatives) was presented at the
American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference this year.
(d) Specific professional goals
Besides the final goal of submitting the book manuscript, I have two other related
goals. First, I plan to attend two conferences, one in U.S., and one abroad. There are
several conferences which are interesting and relevant to my work, but my idea is to
utilize my time and to attend conferences that I have not participated in before due to
time and distance. For now, the conferences I am interested in are the American
Educational Research Association (Denver, April 2010), the American Sociological
Association (Atlanta, August 2010), the World Social Forum (Not yet decided but
probably Brazil, Jan-Feb 2010), and Marx and Philosophy Society (London, May 2010). I
hope to present Chapter 6 (Cultural politics of critical pedagogy) at one of these
conferences. Second, I am hopeful and relatively confident that I will find a publisher
who will accept my book proposal. But if I do not find a publisher during my sabbatical
year, my alternative plan is to submit two chapters (6 and 7) as separate papers to
journals for publication.
(e) Work at off-campus locations
I plan to make a visit to the University of California-Berkeley. Dr. Zeus Leonardo, a
faculty there in the field of critical social theories and critical race theories, is a good
friend and an intellectual partner of mine. Over the years, he has been reading my drafts
before publication, offering useful insights and comments on them. My stay there (about
a week) will be a useful time to get his insights on my book. After my sabbatical leave is
approved, we will make arrangements for occasions to present my book project.
Tentative idea is that I will be a guest lecturer for his doctoral class where he uses one of
my publication, and/or to hold a brown bag seminar to doctoral students and faculties.