This
session will explore some of the historical theoretical perspectives and
foundational roots of critical pedagogy.
We will initially focus on three that have deeply influenced us: Paulo
Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher who was a leading advocate
of critical pedagogy and author of one of the foundational texts of the
critical pedagogy movement, Pedagogy of the Oppressed; Saul Alinsky, one
of the founders of modern community organizing and author of Rules for Radicals; and Stephen Brookfield, a scholar on adult
education and critical pedagogy, who writes about teachers being open to giving
up power and being open to critique/feedback from students. We will discuss the influence of each
of these perspectives on the presenters of this session and ask participants to
share others that have influenced them in the inspiration, design and
implementation of their clinical programs.
We
will then discuss how this core critical theory can contribute to fresh
applications in our programs, including how this literature is relevant to the
“new normal” in multi-disciplinary approaches to clinics. This theory has
influenced the design, goals, methods and partnerships used in our programs. Finally, colleagues attending this session
will reflect on the lessons we have learned from other disciplines. We will all suggest approaches to incorporate
these lessons to increase legal empowerment for our students and clients/groups.