AERA: Sunday 2

Social Justice

Jill Andrea Pinkney Pastrana UW-Eau Claire
Shattering the myths of neoliberalism through challenging ideologies

• • White student's Discourse of resistance is a discourse/ideology of Empire
• • Living in the matrix
• • They don't see the way the rest of the world lives, or what connection it has to them, and/or why it is important that they do?
• • How do we get that point across? (john says: through games/simulations?)
• • If they are not able to think critically about the problems, they will not be able to survive when the shit hits the fan (and they'll inevitably screw things up for others who *are* more prepared.
• • Cuba is having positive results in their education, and is the only country that doesn't subscribe to the NeoLiberal notions of school

takeaway: Here's the dilemma in teaching white kids (esp. middle class males) about privilege: too much and they build defenses; too little and they don't get it (and actually "getting it" is nearly impossible even in ideal situations)

Katherine Rhodes and Roger Tlusty, UW- Eau Claire

• • Connecting critical theory to praxis using the local as an entry point
• • "Human Relations" (3cr on race, power, whiteness, etc)
• • "History, Foundations, Legal Processes" (3cr)
• • discomfort, hopelessness, embarrassment, powerless, etc. -- feelings from white kids who face this.
• • Theoretical framework; critical consciousness (Freire), Feminist and other critical social theories (situated possibilities), place-based pedagogy, critical place-based theory and pedagogy (David Gruenwald had an article that connected critical theory and place-based pedagogy)
• • But HOW???? you urge them, but how??
• • Assignments: 1. mapping the terrain of your home town; 2. unpacking your family history.
• • James Loewen's Sundown Town (black people get out of town by sundown -- a midwest thing??
• • Product of town - > producing, reproducing and challenging that production

takeaway: This is really one of the most thoughtful attempts I've seen at trying to *begin* to start discussions of multiculturalism -- by examining self. It's not the end all, but it is a good starting point.

Tim Titus, "Hasta La Victoria without the camera obscura"

• • James Loewen
• • "I've used all the transitions in PowerPoint!"

takeaway: smug liberalism

Brian Johnstone, CA State U, long beach "Shattering the Myths of Cuba"

• • long mellow, well-designed powerpoint (ran over time)
• • has 30 CDs to give away

takeaway: smugger liberalism -- building walls. Says he's giving "just the facts" but the structure of it is overtly biased. Very beautiful, but overdone.

Nathalia Jaramillo, UCLA "Venezuela, and 'reading the world critically'"

• • "the happiness of many is in thinking they are better"
• • the greatest challenge today is in using our local knowledge to address global problems.

takeaway: Two great points.

Peter McLaren, UCLA -- no comments, just questions from audience