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