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Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education

California State University, San Bernardino

Critical theory

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Education

Emotional Labor: Re/Membering Juan, Randall Wright, Kathryn Schofield May 2008

Emotional Labor: Re/Membering Juan, Randall Wright, Kathryn Schofield

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This paper finds its home in a graduate student’s essay which led to the realization that teaching for social justice in a foundations course cannot ignore the emotional labor of teachers. Critical concepts such as ideology, hegemony and domination must be considered as cognitive frameworks and emotional management systems that delimit and prescribe proper “feelings” for teachers as well. Current educational discourses serve a similar emotional management function. Schools are thus considered battlegrounds for dominance and control of teachers’ emotional lives. Recovering the emotional world of teachers thus serves as a counter-discourse to the current technical-rationalist educational discourse. We conclude …


From Critical Theory To Action Research Or Why This Feels Empowering, Randall Wright, Carolyn Marquez May 2006

From Critical Theory To Action Research Or Why This Feels Empowering, Randall Wright, Carolyn Marquez

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This essay reflects the attempts of the first author of this paper to teach the sociological foundations of education from a critical theory perspective and discusses a surprising outcome—some students feel disempowered by the approach. It suggests that action research offers teachers the opportunity to consider their roles as social agents. One teacher’s story is shared to illustrate how her local efforts play a significant role in transforming the classroom into a more inviting, less alienating locale—addressing the “homelessness” that characterizes the modern school. Her story illustrates how action research, grounded as it is in specific, local concerns and personalities, …