Critical Pedagogy in Hard Times: Utopian Socialist Thought as a Means for Rethinking Capitalism within the Classroom

39 Pages Posted: 19 Jul 2010 Last revised: 18 Aug 2010

See all articles by Robert W. Glover

Robert W. Glover

University of Maine; James Madison University

Date Written: 2010

Abstract

Amidst contemporary economic instability, intellectuals and policymakers from diverse ideological backgrounds have called for a restructuring of capitalism’s institutional form. Yet this is a long-term project, involving not merely rebuilding the beleaguered financial sector and job creation. It will also involve attitudinal changes with regard to consumption, spending, and debt. In light of this, our society has opened an important intellectual window with regard to how we conceive of the market-driven vicissitudes of capitalism and political science educators have inherited a tremendous pedagogical responsibility in enabling their students to conceptualize such changes. Thoughtful consideration of capitalism’s current form, and what may follow it, relies upon our ability get our students to critically consider contemporary economic structures.

Yet recent psychological research has documented that, in many instances, what appears to be thoughtful and engaged action actually draws upon long-settled, prior knowledge so routine and scripted that true thinking actually becomes unnecessary. Such “automatic thinking” constitutes an impediment to the contemporary project of devising a more sustainable form of capitalism, and the critical reflection which such a project requires. This paper argues for the importance of exposing students to alien ideas, rooted in these recent insights on the problem of “automatic thinking.” Building upon this research and my own classroom experiences, I argue here that utopian socialist thought potentially offers us a way to destabilize and de-center our settled understandings with regard to the proper economic order, an essential starting point to the post-crisis rebuilding.

Suggested Citation

Glover, Robert W., Critical Pedagogy in Hard Times: Utopian Socialist Thought as a Means for Rethinking Capitalism within the Classroom (2010). APSA 2010 Annual Meeting Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1644549

Robert W. Glover (Contact Author)

University of Maine ( email )

Orono, ME 04469
United States

James Madison University ( email )

Harrisonburg, VA 22807
United States

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