In the 21st century, the acquisition of knowledge is no longer considered to be a good thing per se. We live in a time when programs in English (or in the humanities more generally) have to prepare their graduates to survive in an increasingly competitive job market. When we are writing student handbooks and information for departmental websites, we usually stress that our programs concentrate on teaching transferable skills. But what exactly are these transferable skills?
Critical theory is a field that offers an immensely important preparation for working in academic and non-academic jobs that require abstract thinking, as well as other complex skills.
So my question is: what are the transferable skills acquired in the context of studying and applying critical theory?
I teach a MEd course in critical pedagogy with, obviously, in depth exploration of critical theory. Some key transferable skills that can gain and developed in the course include:
1. Reflection about self and one's own status in an educational institution and on an employment market. Many of my students are international students and this quickly becomes very concrete in understanding where they stand in a context of globalization. Mere visitors or true participants?
2. We spend a fair amount of our classes examining links between critical literature and every days news. They gain the ability to dissect media messages and examine/recognize power dynamics in the word that surrounds them. Of significant importance these days as soon as you access media...
2. We also focus on the tension between post-modern thought and critical theory as it guides our immediate actions in the sphere of social justice, i.e. dissecting and eroding social constructs such as race and gender vs. reinforcing them and using them as a vehicle for action. They gain the ability to recognize this tension, as citizens, in every day debates and to situate their own social action.
4. Finally there is the whole 'voice'' and identity piece. Critical theory leads learners to reflect on how to gain a voice, solidify a critical identity, etc. and this represents very tangible and transferable skills in the new media landscape when we have all gained the status of producer of message, rather than mere consumers.
I think your question answers itself. "Critical theory is a field that offers an immensely important preparation for working in academic and non-academic jobs that require abstract thinking, as well as other complex skills". However, Critical theory might be used for example to discuss the current hot topic of "fake news" - so teaching students not to believe everything they read
I teach a MEd course in critical pedagogy with, obviously, in depth exploration of critical theory. Some key transferable skills that can gain and developed in the course include:
1. Reflection about self and one's own status in an educational institution and on an employment market. Many of my students are international students and this quickly becomes very concrete in understanding where they stand in a context of globalization. Mere visitors or true participants?
2. We spend a fair amount of our classes examining links between critical literature and every days news. They gain the ability to dissect media messages and examine/recognize power dynamics in the word that surrounds them. Of significant importance these days as soon as you access media...
2. We also focus on the tension between post-modern thought and critical theory as it guides our immediate actions in the sphere of social justice, i.e. dissecting and eroding social constructs such as race and gender vs. reinforcing them and using them as a vehicle for action. They gain the ability to recognize this tension, as citizens, in every day debates and to situate their own social action.
4. Finally there is the whole 'voice'' and identity piece. Critical theory leads learners to reflect on how to gain a voice, solidify a critical identity, etc. and this represents very tangible and transferable skills in the new media landscape when we have all gained the status of producer of message, rather than mere consumers.
Critical theory leads to these outcomes: cultural awareness, making value judgements, sharpening objectivity and subjectivity thinking, critical thinking, assessment and the grounds for it, decision making/making choices, preparing a brief, defending causes and choices.
Transferable skills from critical theory for graduates is, acquiring base judgement on evidence from reliable sources, overcome confusion and can resist manipulation by approaching authentic sources.
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