sawsaw Giroux

After reading this essay by Henry A. Giroux, I feel that I have gained a new understanding of the concept of postmodernism. The way Giroux breaks up the nine points into different ideas regarding postmodernism made it easy to comprehend. I found the first point, "education must be understood as producing not only knowledge but also political subjects" to be correct. The point he makes about linking public education to the imperatives of a critical democracy is something that our education system lacks greatly. Students are not taught about democracies and the importance of being a critic in our school systems. We need to try and link the practices of critical democracy and public education. The eighth point Giroux makes about: "Critical pedagogy needs to develop a theory of teachers as transformed intellectuals who occupy specifiable political and social locations" (387). He later goes on to say that a critical pedagogy needs to ascertain more carefully what the role of teachers might be as cultural workers engaged in the production of ideologies and social practices. (387) Giroux is encouraging teachers to undertake social criticism as a public intellect who addresses social and political issues in the world around them. I feel that this point is very true and accurate. It is the job of teaching professionals to be a critic of the world around them. To discuss political and social issues and to teach students to analyze the world around them.