THE POWER OF BIOGRAPHY: SHIFTING THE BOUNDARIES OF KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EMANCIPATORY PEDAGOGY AND CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/42-2-305Abstract
In this paper1 I describe the application of the experiential and emancipatory strategies of Gramsci(1971, 1977, 1988), Freire (1970, 1972, 1973) and Giroux (1983, 1994, 1997) in an attempt to
shift the boundaries of knowledge and to develop critical consciousness among students using the
author’s work with international students as an example. Sewpaul (2004a; 2004b) described
creative teaching/learning strategies and the use of discourse ethics in the development of
citizenship education with local students. The main argument in this paper is that critical reflection
on one’s social and political realities and the capacity to develop action strategies consequent upon
these reflections constitute central elements in shifting the boundaries of knowledge. Both local
and international student populations need to be viewed as “client” groups insofar as we recognise
that they enter the classroom and the field-training context with varying degrees of disadvantage.
One of these disadvantages is the control of consciousness by means of state machinery and
ideology (Gramsci, 1977) in an attempt to maintain capitalist and ruling-class hegemony, which is
a feature of both Western and non-Western societies.
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