critical reflections on reflective practice
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Critical Reflections on Reflective Practice. Stephen Brookfield Distinguished University Professor University of St. Thomas Minneapolis-St. Paul www.stephenbrookfield.com. Being Reflective. A premature ultimate – its invocation stops further analysis & questioning - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Critical Reflections on Reflective Practice
Stephen BrookfieldDistinguished University Professor
University of St. ThomasMinneapolis-St. Paul
www.stephenbrookfield.com
Being Reflective
• A premature ultimate – its invocation stops further analysis & questioning
• In many mission/vision statements• Broad agreement on process –
identifying & checking assumptions• Implementation changes depending on
intellectual tradition most influential
Reflection On What? For What?
• On Making Technique More Effective & Productive?
• On Solving Organizational Problems in the Delivery of Services? Is this the “Instrumentalization of Reason” /
“One Dimensional Thought”?• How Reflection is Conceived & Practiced
Depends on the Intellectual Tradition One Works Within
Critically Reflective Traditions ….
• ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY – logical fallacies, argument analysis – inductive, deductive, analogical, inferential
• NATURAL SCIENCE – hypothetical-deductive method, principle of falsifiability
• CRITICAL THEORY – uncovering power dynamics & ideological manipulation
• PRAGMATISM – experimental pursuit of beautiful consequences (democracy)
Core Assumptions of Critical Theory
• Society organized to make permanent inequity appear normal, a natural state of affairs• Perception of normality created &
disseminated via dominant ideology• Point of theory is to illuminate as a
prompt to action
What Does it Mean to Be Critically Reflective?Five Tasks Pursued Experimentally
• Understand better how power operates – its dynamics, its ethical use & abuse in relationships, work & community
• Detect ideological manipulation• Recognize & challenge hegemony• Be alert to how repressive tolerance
neutralizes challenges to the system• Practice democracy
Understanding Power
• Researching use of positional power• Understanding team / client dynamics• CRITICAL INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE• Most engaged moment• Most distanced moment• Most helpful action• Most puzzling action• What surprised you most
IDEOLOGICAL MANIPULATION
• How ideology is embedded in micro-actions & everyday decisions …
• Depression – patriarchy• Micro-aggressions: racial & gender• Political participation – “they’re all
the same”, “everything’s fixed”, “mustn’t grumble”
Detecting Hegemony
• Enthusiastic embrace of actions & beliefs that harm us & serve the interests of others ….
VOCATION• “Killing me softly”• PATRIARCHY
• CAPITALISM – organizations that prosper do so because they are ‘fitter’, ‘leaner’, smarter
Repressive Tolerance (Marcuse)
• Include enough challenge to the system to neutralize it – presenting an organizationally diverse public face
• Diversifying curriculum as smorgasbord – mainstream always defines the norm
• Ideology of democratic tolerance – flattening of discussion when all experiences & viewpoints are considered equally valid
PRACTICING DEMOCRACY
• Decisions after inclusive conversation• Decision making processes represent interests
of those most affected (Parecon – Albert)• Resources stewarded & used for the benefit of
the widest number of people, the ‘common good’ (Bill Shankly)
• Negotiation of shared interest – collective interest privileged over private interest
Resources
• www.stephenbrookfield.com• www.the99ersband.com• The Power of Critical Theory (2004) Jossey-Bass/Open
University Press• Learning as a Way of Leading (2008) (w/Stephen
Preskill) Jossey-Bass/Wiley• Radicalizing Learning (2010) (w/ John Holst) Jossey-
Bass/Wiley• Teaching for Critical Thinking (2012) Jossey-Bass/Wiley• Powerful Techniques for Teaching Adults (2013) Jossey-
Bass/Open University Press