Two Dimensions of Thinking Critically

The acquisition of new information: Understanding the meaning given to

information:
To continuously seek out knowledge that
lies beyond our commonsense idea of the Understanding the historical and cultural
world. context in which knowledge is produced and
circulated.

Critical thinking is not just acquiring new knowledge; it is also understanding the social
dimensions of knowledge.

Key Words in Critical Theory

Critical Theory A body of scholarship that examines how society works, and is a
tradition that emerged in the early part of the 20th century from a
group of scholars at the Institute for Social Research.

Social Stratification The concept that social groups are relationally positioned and
ranked into a hierarchy of unequal value.

Minoritized Group A social group that is devalued in society and given less access to
resources. This devaluating encompasses how the group is
represented, what degree of access to resources it is granted, and
how the unequal access is rationalized.

The goal is to increase understanding of the:

Different levels of thinking: opinion versus critical thinking, layperson versus scholarly
Political nature of knowledge production and validation
Historical context of current social processes and institutions
Process of socialization and its relationship to social stratification
Inequitable distribution of power and resources among social groups
 We can't address issue of critical social justice
without first examining the maps we are using to
identify the problem and conceptualize the
solutions.

Awareness of our theoretical maps can lead to

WHY?
The three dimensions to guide students:

In critical analysis of knowledge In critical self-reflection about In developing the skills

claims that are presented as their own social perspective with which to see,
neutral, universal, and and subjectivity. analyze, and challenge
objective. ideological domination.

Types of Knowledge:

- Personal and Cultural Knowledge

- Popular Knowledge
- Mainstream Academic Knowledge
- School Knowledge