Chapter II Contemporary critical pedagogy

Contemporary critical pedagogy, however, does usually include anti-racist, feminist, post-colonial, ethnicity and age theories. Themes in current critical thinking address the rise of a military-industrial complex and a warfare state, that Freire saw increasingly approaching before his death (Giroux 2010). Since education is also impacted by capitalism, the rise of globalization and neo-liberalism is in the heart of critical theory. McLaren sees the problem in the corporate-state-military-media-complex and a culture of resulting violence that could be limited by dialogue (Critical Pedagogy, Social Justice and the Struggle for Peace 2009; Moisi 497). Associated with that violence and brutality which came to the core of late-capitalist society itself (Cho 80) is Adorno's warning of preventing more genocides through critical education to form democratic minds which is still in relevant today in places such as Darfur, East Timor, Rwanda and most currently Iraq (Cho 75). Education itself became more multicultural but because it is part of the world economy, it yet lacks the discussion of linking racism with capitalist social relations (Critical Pedagogy 348, 350).

Henry Giroux also elaborates that current universities are dominated by a conservative ideology and run for profit for the post-secondary education system largely moved from being a public to being a private good. Today’s campuses are corporatized for the global market, especially, he argues, because students are educated to compete with the fast-growing Chinese markets. This specialization in the capitalist system leaves no space for freedom and autonomy as a collective goal and administrations would lack the understanding of education as a necessity for strengthening democratic thinking and imagination (2010). Cho concludes that these are all symptoms of a sick society (80).

What then is the situation in our universities, especially Saint Mary's University (SMU)? Freire's predictions and Giroux's observations can indeed also apply to SMU with corporate sponsors such as the Sobey family, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, Aramark among many others (SMUSA). Programs that encourage critical thinking such as Women's Studies get cut or are made impossible to major in whereas programs such as Management, Accounting or Business administration get sponsored and encouraged in order to recruit for the global economic market. At the same time tuition fees are increasing, as is university president Colin Dodd's income which makes it the second highest in the province (CBC News).

Critical Pedagogy as such is partially applied, especially in the International Development Studies program. Students are encouraged to think critically and question culture, society and the global capitalist system. Also, especially higher classes are held on a square table in seminar format and discussions are welcome and instructors do not impose an opinion of their own. Yet, students usually have no impact in the design of the class syllabus or evaluation. Also, more connections to local marginalized communities such as Africville could be made. Ideally, post-secondary education should be costless and Arts programs more promoted so that students learn critical self-reflection as Adorno and 'conscientization' as Freire would phrase it in order to become critical, democratic thinking citizens that contribute to the democratization of society and mental liberation from capitalism, especially on campus.

A step in that direction could be, as Giroux suggests, more connections with classroom education and the local community. Concrete positive current examples of this are the formation of a community garden on campus and a food co-operative to become independent from the corporate food system. This means, community workshops, buying local, organic food from farmers in order to become independent from the capitalist influences on campus. Professors then could educate students on these issues and visit the community garden and encourage students to take civic action for their emancipation. Future connections could also be made with local anti-racist and feminist struggles and initiatives for an equal access to material resources. Although such issues might occasionally be addressed, they should according to Peter McLaren be not only informative but performative (346, 348). Attempting to run SMU democratically would mean being student and faculty-run as a collective. Doing so everybody involved would directly phase the challenges that capitalism imposes on them since the university administration and corporations would try vehemently to prevent this.

This paper outlined the concepts of critical thinking in education by introducing critical theory and critical pedagogy on hand of their historic origins and main former and current contributes. The main ideas were introduced with concrete examples. Current developments in the field have been mentioned and a critical analysis of education at SMU followed. Suggestions for the future in order to form a transparent, free and truly democratically run campus closed the essay.