The Relevance of Critical Postmodernism for Emancipatory Labor Education: An Assessment

Abstract

Emancipatory labor educators seek to facilitate among workers an understanding of their common experiences of exploitation as well as their collective power to transform workplace and social conditions. Emancipatory educators have thus stressed the need for working class unity, yet there are significant differences and conflicts among workers. Can the goal of promoting unity be reconciled with the recognition of differences? Critical postmodernist theorists believe that their notions of "difference" and "border crossing" can reconcile this tension. However, an analysis of the relevance of these notions in three labor education contexts reveals their limited value for emancipatory labor educators. abor education programs have become increasingly diverse in terms of content and method in recent years (Gray and Kombluh, 1990), but the predominant type of labor education continues to be the so-called &dquo;tool&dquo; courses. Based on what Aronowitz (1990) has termed an &dquo;instru-

Theorizing engagement: the potential of a critical dialogic approach

“…More recently, I have drawn from emancipatory action learning literature (e.g. Slott, 2002;Fenwick, 2003;Bokeno, 2003a). 53 For the reasons canvassed by Gray (2002a), I would urge others to do so wherever possible.…”

“…There are disagreements about what work needs doing, who to work with in order to achieve change, and how engagements (if they are to be undertaken) should be conducted (Tinker et al, 1991;Willmott et al, 1993, Bebbington, 1997Everett and Neu, 2000;Neu et al, 2001;Gray, 2002a;Tinker and Gray, 2003). Indeed, Gray (1992, p. 410) notes tensions in the Green movement "over the relative merits of 'supping with the devil'"; see also Slott (2002) for similar debates in the labour movement, Lather (1991) on feminist interventions and Moore (1991), Shalin (1992), Alvesson and Deetz (2000).…”

“… Gray (1992, p. 410), e.g. notes tensions in the Green movement "over the relative merits of 'supping with the devil'"; see alsoSlott (2002) for similar debates in the labour movement and Lather (1991) on feminist interventions.…”