Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Reinventing Critical Pedagogy: Widening the Circle of Anti-oppression Education

Reinventing Critical Pedagogy offers a fresh perspective from which to read, discuss, and debate recent critical interpretations of schooling and our world at present. The authors build upon past accomplishments of critical pedagogy and critique those elements that contradict the radically democratic orientation of the field. Ultimately, they argue that critical pedagogy needs to welcome a wider representational and ideological base for the oppressed, and that it should do so in a way that makes the field more vital in the preparation for the revolutionary struggles ahead. Reinventing Critical Pedagogy takes a step in that direction because it not only takes to task "external" forces such as capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy, but also engages the manifestations of these external forces within critical pedagogy itself. Review Unlike many compilations resulting from conferences or professional meetings, this text is very carefully edited and expands the boundaries of critical theory in interesting, important ways. The book is divided into three sections; the first focusing on race and ethnicity, the second on theoretical concerns, and the third on applications of critical theory constructs to various disciplines. This final section is extremely important in pushing the study of critical theory into largely uncharted waters and undertheorized areas of scholarship. One of the most interesting and stimulating chapters focuses on the relationship between mathematics and the application of critical theory principles and ideas. Another excellent chapter focuses on issues of critical theory applied to environmental science. Highly recommended.--CHOICE In the tradition of Paulo Freire, critical pedagogy needs reinventing and this is exactly what Rossatto, Allen, and Pruyn have accomplished. This breakthrough collection of intellectuals and their work remind readers what drew them to critical pedagogy in the first place: its spirit of critical self-reflection. Critical pedagogy will never be the same again.--Zeus Leonardo, Editor of Critical Pedagogy and Race, California State University, Long Beach This book is a long overdue and important contribution to the field of critical pedagogy. Moreover, the mix of new and established scholars and diversity of topics makes this an ideal text for classroom use. Reinventing Critical Pedagogy is destined to invoke dialogue, controversy, and contested conversations, not only helping to reinvent critical pedagogy but also to reignite it!--Sandy Grande, Connecticut College Synopsis "Reinventing Critical Pedagogy" is divided into three thematic areas: Race, Ethnicity, and Critical Pedagogy, which exposes the pervasiveness of white supremacy and ethnic conflict; Theoretical Concerns, in which authors rethink the basic premises of capitalism, alienation, experience, religion, and social justice through a critical theory lens, a critical pedagogy staple; and finally, Applications, Extensions, and Empirical Studies, which looks at undertheorized and underrepresented areas in critical pedagogy-gender, math education, pseudo-science, global literacy, and stories of successful resistance. About the Author Cesar Augusto Rossatto is Associate Professor and Director of the Sociocultural Foundations Division in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Texas at El Paso. He is author of numerous publications including: Engaging Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of Possibility: From Blind to Transformative Optimism (Rowman and Littlefield). He is founder of Paulo Freire SIG (Special Interest Group) at AERA (American Education Research Association). He is founder and chair of the First, Second, and Third International Conference on Education, Labor and Emancipation http://academics.utep.edu/confele. He teaches courses in critical pedagogy, multiculturalism, education for social justice, sociology of education. He is committed to dialectic and dialogical education