Critical Thinking
In this chapter we take a look at the ways critical thinking can contribute to our practice. Narrative practices invite us to be curious about where our ideas come from and their effects. Here we look at some of the theoretical assumptions of narrative practice, ways we can strengthen our critical thinking, and how this can influence our work.
“Critical does not mean destructive, but only willing to examine what we sometimes presuppose in our way of thinking, and that gets in the way of making a more livable world”
Judith Butler reference
This paper by Mary Heath begins by defining critical thinking and setting out a personal history of the author’s journey toward becoming a critical thinker. Some dimensions of critical thinking are outlined, together with questions which might allow readers to apply them to specific contexts.
Critical Thinking | Mary Heath
An invitation to talk about privilege from Salome Raheim
The relations and practices of power that influence our lives are often invisible to us. If we do not proactively look at how relations of power operate to create advantages for some and deny these advantages to others, it hinders our work as therapists and community practitioners. Without examining the operations of privilege, we are unable to see the circumstances that create constraints on other people’s lives. We are unable to appreciate their daily efforts to work and live in the context of these constraints, or to resist them.
Furthermore, we are unable to see how our lives are made easier. We think that the ease with which we are able to operate in the world is the norm and become oblivious to the fact that everybody’s life is not like our own.
What is more, unless we routinely examine the operations of power and our place within these operations, we fail to notice how we are liable to inadvertently impose our expectations, our cultural ways, our ways of thinking, on the people with whom we work. These impositions tend to diminish those who consult us, and they are destructive to the good work that we wish to accomplish.
This examination and deconstruction of the operations of privilege improves our practice as therapists and community workers. It is only when we recognise what people are up against that we can notice and invite people to richly describe their stories of resistance. It is only in examining the operations of privilege that we can become more aware of the potential for our practice to have negative consequences of inadvertently marginalising and diminishing people’s lives and subordinating their stories.
This work has a particular resonance for those of us who are from marginalised groups. Examining the operations of power and privilege renders visible the constraints upon our lives. It helps us to understand that these constraints are not due to individual deficits, group deficits, or cultural deficits. The problem is not located within us. This lessens the influence of shame and makes resistance more possible.
In the following pages, we have enclosed a range of exercises that we hope will assist in exploring these issues further.
Please open this new page to read on.. : An invitation to narrative practitioners to address privilege and dominance
Narrative Therapy and Community work are considered Postmodern and Post-structuralist in theoretical orientation. Here Leonie Thomas helps us make sense of what this might mean and focuses on a few areas of Post-structuralism while offering some answers to commonly asked questions.
Leonie Thomas Post-structuralism Reading
For Reflection
What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you? How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials? Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
Please now respond to these questions in the forum below! Please include where you are writing from (City and Country). Thanks!
rmgarland
June 28, 2023Hello, Megan from Hamilton, Victoria, Australia here. I appreciate the solid reminder to be deliberate about critical thinking, in all that I do (I have three professions), including here in this field as a counsellor, particularly as I learn and grow. I value the reminder to not absorb everything at face value, but to assess, critique against other learnings, both theoretical and experiential, to integrate where I can, and put on the shelf to reassess if I’m unsure as I go along. It was also good to see structuralism and post-structuralism defined, to weigh up where I naturally sit from my background, and where my learning and experience have opened me up. I am more inclined to see these as ends of a continuum, rather than either/or, with truth embedded in both approaches, and value to be gained along the spectrum, when used wisely and in balance.
dyc123
May 31, 2023Hi! My name is Dawn and I live in Toronto, Canada. Critical thinking in my everyday life means questioning my thoughts, feelings, core beliefs, and behaviours in reaction to my environment. It means having the ability to deeply reflect values and assumptions I have previously overlooked, so that I can prevent them from intervening with my ability to effectively counsel my future clients. It also means looking for evidence to back up research articles claiming one thing or another. It means looking for limitations to shed insight about ways to strengthen results. It means having a peer support group to help with my assumptions and to gain perspective on one topic or another. Critical thinking means being authentic with myself so I can become a more caring and competent counsellor.
Critical thinking means that I remain humble in all encounters with others; it means that I can learn and integrate different worldviews into my thinking which will broaden my perspective in my approach to therapy.
Isaac Gallaway
May 26, 2023Isaac Gallaway from Yakima, Washington, USA.
Critical thinking is the process of pulling apart the structure to get to the essence of the item. The goal is never the destruction of the product or idea, but the streamlining and increasing functionality of said product or idea. If the idea is a steak, critical thinking is the knife that cuts away the fat.
I know that I personally benefit from learning more about hidden biases and thinking traps. The best way we can help those we serve is to deal with the issues we carry ourselves. Until we can look back at our own lives, we cannot move forward in helping others. I think that long term, being able to confidently assert the journey I have gone (and am going) through will help others admit their own need to examine their stories and personal biases.
In response to any stories or sayings, personally I’m an INTJ according to Myers-Briggs. I’m constantly puling things apart to put them together again. The one question I did have regarding the material would be is this: In a Post-Structuralism worldview, is there such a thing as Truth? I understand there are individual little “t” truths we encounter in our own lives, but is it fair to analyze based on the fruit of someone’s life? If I see that my life is falling apart because I’m living by my truth, wouldn’t I need to rewrite my story to align to a greater story that perhaps hold a capital “T” Truth? I’m curious to hear some perspectives.
mcosta_01
April 7, 2023Writing from Philadelphia, PA- USA
What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
To me, critical thinking is post-structuralism. It is maintaining a healthy level of skepticism and curiosity. It is questioning the status quo, but also questioning those who question the status quo. As an undergrad studying journalism, critical thinking is something I am very familiar with and something I hold near and dear to my heart. I think it is incredibly important for therapists, social workers, and activists to engage in thinking critically about the systems that structure our world, and how these systems and structures could look different.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
I feel better equipped to have a philosophical conversation with clients about structuralism and post-structuralism if these topics are of interest to them. I can also see how these concepts relate to existentialism, which has come up in my own therapy sessions.
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
The first story that comes to mind is a conversation I had with a patient where I work. He was struggling with his muslim mother’s inability to accept his gay identity, and we were brainstorming ways in which he could express to her why he needed her support. Magically, I thought of a topic that might bring them together – I seemingly thought of this out of thin air, but I know it probably came from a cultural bases class I took as part of my graduate program. I suggested that he mention to her the similarities of oppression between the muslim community and the LGBTQ community. We discussed how these communities would be stronger if they banded together, and that all marginalized communities could probably achieve more if they could see past their differences and work together for a common good. Coming to this conclusion takes critical thinking skills and post-structuralist thought, because both of these communities are rightfully protective of their own kind, and less likely to trust outsiders who threaten each other’s beliefs. To take a risk to unite these communities would be incredibly brave and it might not work out the first few times. If it is ever to work out, I imagine wonderful things could be accomplished for both of those communities.
Lynn
March 30, 2023Critical thinking is an essential skill for a counsellor, as it enables them to provide effective support and guidance to their clients. A counsellor who engages in critical thinking can hold a more open-minded and empathetic perspective, which helps them to identify potential personal biases and assumptions. This can not only help to build trust and rapport with clients, but also help them to better understand their clients’ experiences without jumping in with their personal experiences.
Additionally, critical thinking can also be powerful in allowing and inviting counsellor to view the counselling process from a second order perspective, to see what they see and hear what they hear and reflect of the counselling process from an observing stance to gain different insight of the process.
Olena
March 24, 2023For me critical thinking means not to believe everything, to put some things under the question or doubt in order to see what is really there. For me it’s about logics, reason, evidence, different points of view.
The materials of this chapter drew my attention to the question of the privileges, the things which usually are accepted for granted and go unnoticed for the privileged person. that’s a lot to thinks about and to introduce to my life and practice
Olena, Dubai, UAE
ytydc
March 24, 2023ty from hong kong.
“Critical thinking” means for me thinking about thinking practices, whereby I try to find what shapes or influences how I think (and how I express what I have thought, in writing, in daily dialogues, and in non-verbal expressions) and understand more how my subjectivity interacts with what shapes or influences me. “Privilege” and “power” are two terms I often think with when thinking about critical thinking, but they are not the only ones. If and how my lingual ability can/cannot transcend what has shaped me is a field I am exploring in academic and creative writing and what I would like to explore more.
susan fagerland
March 12, 2023What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
Is not assuming everyone has had a similar life to me, while I have been privileged in many ways, I have also felt the gossip/judgement of my life being a single mother with four children. Many people have a more privileged life, while others have been majorly worse off. Saying that is never to judge a book by its cover as a metaphor.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
Always listen to the story being told by the person I am speaking to in a non-judgmental way. Continually self-reflecting if I could have done anything in a more appropriate manner, if I made any assumptions, and continually question my methods, asking my client for feedback if I could have done something different and respected their values.
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Treat each person as an individual and never assume to know better than them.
jennyheraghty
February 19, 2023This is Jenny writing from Mareeba, Far North Queensland, Australia
What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you? Critical thinking for me is to question and explore my assumptions which were born of white privilege, educational privilege, able-bodied privilege, heterosexual privilege and class privilege.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials? I found the questions around ciritical thinking as presented by Mary Health, and the questions posed around my privileges in Salome Raheim’s invitation very challenging and most useful.
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
I read a definition 0f critical thinking on-line, and my take-home words from this are “critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it”, that if it is done as a selfish act it can be a skillful manipulation in service of the vested interest of an individual or group and that it needs to be grounded in fairmindedness (criticalthinking.org)
Dawn
January 15, 2023Dawn Holtan, Berkeley, CA, USA
This lesson sparked immense gratitude in me for my parents, who were radical, free-thinking hippies. I grew up being strongly encouraged to “question authority,” including their perspectives, and one of my dad’s favorite sayings was “if you can’t change your mind, how do you know you have one?” In other words, critical thinking was a family value. They also both, especially my mom, were thinking seriously about issues of privilege long before they had a single word to name the slippery power imbalances they saw being taken for granted. I found it deeply validating and encouraging to read the wisdom shared here, and to experiment with the thought exercises regarding privilege in particular.
As for my practice, I know the poststructuralist invitations really resonated me, and I’m already thinking about how to ensure that I’m incorporating this into my therapeutic work.
Bec Acuto
December 23, 2022Hi everyone, I am writing from Melbourne, Australia, on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
Critical thinking for me is the ability to rigorously think and evaluate from multiple different viewpoints and to question everything in active inquiry. It should be a process that seeks to advance, develop and grow, to learn from and continue to learn.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
Setting more rigorous ground rules and expectations for my conversations that include scaffolding safe spaces where we know how to cope with disagreement and conflict and how to learn and grow from it.
I would also like to continue to advocate for more consultation within practice to ensure we recognise power and privilege and redress that imbalance especially when considering race and cultural backgrounds
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
For me i tie this back to my previous work where we introduced 360 degree feedback and the challenges that arose and how the context and culture impacted the ability to employ a system that is focused on critical thinking. I can reflect on what worked well and the barriers that prevented success.
kanoyes
December 13, 2022Karl, Prior Lake, Minnesota, USA
What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
Critical thinking means examining patterns of thought through different lenses. By using different lenses, questions can be created in which to “knock the tires” of assumptions. This practice of using informed questioning to test assumptions constitutes a large part of critical thinking.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
Something I might not perceive as being part of privilege or a symbol of privilege still might be perceived by others as an indicator of privilege. Privilege comes with a certain implied force that one needs to be aware of as it creates separations between people.
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
I always think about long and longer histories. All of us are privileged to live in the time period that we do. So whenever we look at histories, personal, cultural, or otherwise, it is necessary to acknowledge this. There is no such thing as “it’s always been this way” or “it’ll always be this way” as both statements with a little critical though are undercut. By removing permanency of statements, it’s as though we are moving boulders that block our path. The boulder in our path wasn’t always there and it won’t always be there. Perhaps if we step back from being face to face with the boulder, we can see some openings for light and movment.
jtaylor089
December 8, 2022James – Victoria, Australia.
What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
Analysing information, evaluating this information and identifying possible options, and developing a plan to move forward. This can be done at length in a place of safety and support or undertaken in seconds when an immediate decision has to be made i.e. risk and safety concerns.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
Even if I don’t agree with some of the views expressed in the content it has made me more aware of what others may be thinking and feeling.
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
Critical thinking for me comes back to the military and having to formulate plans in a very short timeframe with the potential for great harm if this decision is not a well weighted one.
For me this mindset is important because there is no such thing as a ‘perfect plan’ due to many variables when working with people and unknown environments. What it helps me to do is to take the key information available to me (simplifies to risk vs reward), weigh up possible outcomes and develop a immediate action plan – even if the plan is brief and simple it can still be used as a means to move forward while evaluation is continual along with remaining flexible with the ability to adapt to new plans and information that may arise.
lisa.jordan2020
November 14, 2022I enjoyed looking at barriers to privilege and thought about people/communities who are weary of talk without action, of only hearing the negative stories portrayed. Critical thinking is a great skill to have and I agree with the world needing more ability to discourse without rancour, however it can also be frustrating on a personal level to see incompetence in systems that perpetuate.
angie.wiggins
November 2, 2022Kia ora from Aotearoa, NZ. I really appreciated the very clear with great examples article from Leonie about poststructuralism and how it impacts practice. I think there is a lot of hope there for me because it seems like a much better theoretical base for therapy. I appreciate the simple clarity of it. I am interested in the journey of recognising privilege and how it is ongoing and absolutely has to be as I practice. That it is not a destination. Finally I appreciated the stuff on critical thinking because it gave me confidence that that part of my nature is actually a really good thing, I just need to execute it with grace and then be confident that I am not criticising but engaging in critical thinking, and that they are not the same thing. Was very good for me when I have been feeling a bit of shame around that part of me recently. So thank you!
tlcoope
November 2, 2022I am a Psychiatry trainee writing from the UK. I have really enjoyed this chapter and its introduction to the key concepts of critical thinking. I think it is a real skill to be able to engage others in critical discourse, particularly in an era dominated by polarised debate. During my work and training, I regularly encounter cultural barriers that seem to silence alternative perspectives and counter theories, on the basis of maintaining the status quo. As a junior member of staff, it can be difficult to find a voice in such scenarios, leading to uncomfortable cognitive dissonance. The words of Salome Raheim and colleagues really resonated with me. It can be difficult to shine the spotlight on ourselves, illuminating our privilege for all to see, but without undergoing this process, we will often inadvertently undermine and sabotage the therapeutic work we set out to do.
Raasha
October 29, 2022On critical thinking: I remember turning 17-18 years old and being exposed to bold and powerful feminist content, it sparked something in me. While the years before that were all about gaining acceptance and validation from my peers, the years after included heavy debates, introspection and research. I strongly believe that critical thinking has helped keep my relationship with others and myself authentic. It wasn’t until I reached this chapter that I realised how important this practice is for me and how I continue to grow personally and professionally from it. It has, of course, cost me relationships and I’ve often been painted as a stick in the mud if I give inputs that question the dominant narrative. So I have learnt to be mindful of when I am willing to risk the relationship or the emotional setting with my thought-provoking or hard to swallow questions and opinions, and when I would like to keep my inputs to myself and let the collective emotional space be the priority.
On privilege: Salome Raheim’s words on the prevalence of privilege in therapeutic practice is spot-on. In a diverse country like India, there is so much overlap of being more privileged and less privileged by even just one other individual. I feel the quiet bitterness when clients who belong to gender or religious minorities act ignorantly of their privilege, and I am mindful of my assumptions, questions and treatment plans when I work with clients from lower socio-economic backgrounds, or more orthodox families or queer communities that are less tolerated than mine. I do no apologise for my privilege but I do acknowledge my lack of knowledge in their limitations before I ask what I hope are sensitively framed questions.
Mumbai, India
andrewsar
October 11, 2022What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
I think about how diverse we all are on this planet and how many different factors in our lives shape the paradigms through which we see the world eg: culture, ethnicity, family, friends, school, religion… When we meet people, to consider these different contexts and concepts to determine how we may interract.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
The concept of privilege was a great reminder for me to consider how my privilege supports me throughout my practice and to be mindful of this when engaging with other people. As an indigenous person I am aware of the concept of “white privilege” but am now more aware of other types of privilege.
Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
I remember during our mental health training in my nursing degree, our tutor told us never to assume, because assuming can make an ASS out of U and ME = (ASSUME). I always remember this in the context of common sense and treating people how you would like to be treated. We were told that we are all different and we shouldn’t think about how we treat people based on common sense because we all have different interpretations of what common sense means to us.
anapaty
September 26, 2022Hello! Ana from México over here.
I especially enjoyed this chapter. I love Mary’s description on how she developed critical thinking. I grew up in a similar context in México, as I like to call it, in a bubble. And it was not until I grew up that I was able to learn about different cultures, ways of thinking and expanding my reading repertoire that I understood how to think critically. I believe critical thinking involves analysis of various points of views and the ability to use your knowledge and apply it to the context you are on. That doesn’t mean you answer will be right every time you find yourself in a similar situation, but taking into account the context, the people around, your emotional state, others emotional states and overall the environment around you, you took the most ethical decision you could.
I believe there is no limit to critical thinking, the more you read, the more critical you will think. I would love to keep practicing this skill that is so necessary in therapy.
Yashodhara Chowdhury
September 16, 2022Writing in from Kolkata, India
I connect critical thinking to ‘Going beyond’ (the official, the obvious, the spoken etc) and always seeing the personal from the perspective of the public and vise versa.
What stayed with me in these couple of papers, is Judith Butlers ‘Critical thinking is not destructive’, and bell hooks’ reminder of a ‘safe environment, which I think are brilliant effective foundations for beginning to think critically in our work.
What keeps me connected to Critical thinking is actually similar to what bell hooks calls ‘expanding consciousness’ now that I read it. Just like others, my introduction to critical thinking began much later only in undergrad when I took papers in sociology. But as I took the classes, I remember the distinct feeling of ‘my mind opening and stretching and sometimes simply been blown away’. I remember my friends and I would talk about how this felt like we are alive and conscious in every moment, and how different but good that felt. This is the feeling that I carry in my heart, which keeps me pushing to think critically.
emmatonkin
September 13, 2022Emma from Perth, Western Australia
This concept of critical thinking, particularly in reference to white privilege, assists me greatly when assisting clients to navigate the influence of their own upbringing (and that of their parents and so on) and it’s impact on their current view of their problem as situated in a wider context and with respect to their role within it and in choosing whether or not to continue it.
Khadigi Mariam
September 9, 2022I believe that the way we are brought up is not what we would think as an ideal way to grow up but it does play a big roll in where to from here when you are mature and old enough to understand the difference and to fight for those difference. Coming from an Arabic speaking background and leaving my country at a very young age to a whole new world, you grow up in a tug-of-war between what you know to be true because this is what I was taught, to seeing things from the other side of the spectrum and thinking critically about what you have been taught your whole life to be untruths and biases. What I can understand now is that it was inevitable to be taught such things when my parents had to cop so much racism from the prejudices that was surrounding them. Critical thinking helped me to find the truths and evidences of what my parents taught me and work my way in trying to educate my family that we are humans and we all need to survive off each other.
Sydney, Australia
lisamoore.aus
September 6, 2022Hello. I am writing from Bundjalung country, Tweed Coast, Norther NSW>
As I mentioned in a previous post, as an educator and as a person, I consistently advocate for critical thinking. I have yet to unpack how this will affect my role as a therapist – it is an exciting opportunity ahead! I have a story to share. Its in response to Leonie Thomas’s reminder that “what we’re looking for, what we believe and where we come from shape both how we look and what we will find”. I spent a large portion of my adult life living in a culture and learning a language that was not my own. As a white, Anglo-Saxon woman, my opinion and beliefs were a constant source of othering for almost everyone in my life. My extended family, my friends, my work colleagues and by strangers on the street. I have no way of knowing at this point in my story what assumptions you have made when I write of ‘my extended family, friends or colleagues”, none of whom were white or Anglo-Saxon and only few spoke my first language. To give an honest account of how this othering was made explicit and what it was intended to represent are beyond the scope of this comment box. As I explored these representations and listened to the stories I was told, I learnt so much about the assumptions we make, why we make those assumptions and how they are strengthened. I also learnt there are other ways to hold ‘privilege’ but that’s a story for another time.
nicolef
August 30, 2022For me, critical thinking is linked to continual reflective practice. questioning where did that idea or assumption come from? is there another lens to look at this problem from, what would a different perspective bring to this.
Its also about continually undermining my own assumptions and judgements about the world, and the practices of the systems we work within. If we can understand the lens that they have been developed under we can be more productive in our advocacy for change, or in supporting clients to get the best outcomes.
rhonda.monts
August 27, 2022Critical thinking as a process of taking in information from different sources to make decisions or form judgement is not a new concept for me and has been developing as I age. As others have mentioned, Mary Heath’s understanding that the world was larger than her father’s opinion also is relevant to me, and probably quite a universal idea. The information served as a great reminder that information comes to us from many different sources and that we need to be actively looking for information from many sources to form an opinion that is reliable. Included in this is understanding the power I hold in the many facets of life. This is essential for critical thinking in my opinion.
rob
August 14, 2022What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
Critical thinking involves skills that enable us to question and analyse assumptions behind information we are engaging with or beliefs that we already hold. The word ‘critical’ is not used here in a negative way but describes a willingness to examine our presuppositions. It involves not becoming defensive when others do not agree, but being willing to reflect collaboratively – whether in an academic space, workplace, or social setting etc. It helps us to learn collectively rather than gravitating to those who agree.
How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
I think the readings provided were very helpful in creating awareness of power and privilege. There is scope for regularly reflecting on these issues and growing in awareness of how privilege is affecting the way we relate in so many ways, where some are fairly obvious, but many are obscured by upbringing, culture, insensitivity etc. So hopefully I will be more sensitive and aware of some of these issues after engagement with the materials.
rhea k
July 31, 2022Hello! Mary Heath’s paper stood out to me. I was intrigued by the definition of a safe space. As a psychology student, I’ve always understood it as a space full of validation and free of disagreement and contradiction. The therapy room is quite easily seen to as an inherently safe space. But I ask, who are we making it safe for? And from whom? Safe spaces resulted when marginalized communities that were not allowed to exist in the mainstream worked towards visiblising themselves. The therapy room only comes close to being safe when therapists acknowledge the politics that birthed safe spaces, and the violent history of psychology and psychiatry. When they unlearn violent treatments, break away from biomedicine, and become aware of their own privileges and powers.
Cat Reidy
July 27, 2022Thanks for another thought provoking chapter. I think it’s always worth reflecting on how we can contain, hold, and honour multiple identities. Mary Heath’s experience of having an English teacher who invited her students to form their own opinions resonated deeply and made me think about how powerful ‘just’ asking and ‘just’ listening can be, in all our relationships whether personal or professional.
Brittney
July 19, 2022I really enjoyed this section about critical thinking. It actually got me thinking a lot about how I want to raise my kids to be critical thinkers. I especially liked the part about finding “safety” not in others agreeing with us, but feeling safety when we know how to cope when people don’t agree with us. The world needs more of that kind of safety!
breetherese98
July 19, 2022Critical thinking to me, means to be reflective and analyzing my active contribution to the contexts I sit in and what extent of power I hold around altering this. A practical example of this is engaging in supervision as a social worker. In this space I am encouraged to reflect on my strengths – an often neglect part of my thinking and where I can better improve my practice.
I think engaging with these materials really highlights the large scale impact, individual reflection can make. If we are open to critical thinking, we open ourselves to more opportunity and to better engage relationally.
The following is an excerpt from Peggy Mcintosh around critical reflection surrounding white privilege; something which as a white person is important for me to acknowledge.
“In unpacking this invisible knapsack of white privilege, I have listed conditions of daily experience which I once took for granted. Nor did I think of any of these prerequisites as bad for the holder. I now think that we need a more finely differentiated taxonomy of privilege, for some of these varieties are only what one would want for everyone in a just society, and others give license to be ignorant, oblivious, arrogant and destructive.”
Bree Yerbury,
Wollongong, NSW, Australia
shahdalshammari
July 13, 2022Critical thinking is so often misunderstood. As a teacher, I find this really bothers my students and they take the word criticism to mean harmful and negative. I would like to start using conversations about privilege to discuss what we mean when we think of ableism and how we live and navigate life through our bodies.
Jessica Brewer
July 6, 2022Critical thinking to me means to think about a topic/ comment/ situation deeply. After viewing and reading this material, I might have that inner monologue not be so prevalent at times as I do believe that at times I have been quick to “be unable to appreciate the circumstances that create constraints client’s lives”.
Jessica
Manteno, IL
Marisa
June 14, 2022Marisa from Melbourne/Naarm.
Critical thinking to me means keeping in mind that while I may think I am attempting to be as objective and free from bias as possible in my dealings with others and in the way I operate in the world – the privileges I am afforded as a white, cis gendered, well educated middle aged Australian woman will deeply influence how I see myself, others and the world and will – in many ways – ‘blind me’ to considering and understanding the perspectives and stories of others who do not enjoy the same privileges I do and have done throughout my life. Unless….I attempt to keep at the forefront of my thoughts that I should always be attempting to think critically about my actions and reactions to others and seek a deeper understanding of myself and others beyond the superficial.
parmpreet.singh328
May 16, 2022critical thinking is a best method to use in practice and understanding the concept of other thinking. I found it interesting as suggested in chapter how one can distinguish their privileges and oppression from others and use a non biased approach to solve the problem
Caro
April 19, 2022Critical thinking to me is about being open to other possibilities. We only know what we know right? But if I’m able to open myself to critique then there is a possibility to see another perspective. A learning opportunity, a chance to improve analyse and fact check. Learning to separate critical thinking from judgement will be crucial in learning from others. I can see particular value when working with other cultures. Constantly asking myself questions, am I viewing this from a perspective of privilege?
Caroline Myss talks about how we are all in different stages of our journey and uses the analogy of a multi-storeyed apartment building. From the first floor very little can be seen, compared to the penthouse suite. It is good to remember that we can all be looking in the same direction but see something completely different. Caroline, New Zealand.
mmccollum@callutheran.edu
April 15, 2022I found this chapter to be very helpful and engaging. Much like Mary Heath described, I was not raised in a culture that valued critical thinking, and her statement that critical thought was “invisible” to her until late adolescence resonated with me. I feel that I, too, realized how limited my understanding of the world was around that same time, and I was able to expand my understanding and seek out the perspectives I had been missing. In terms of examining my privilege, I remember reading “unpacking the invisible knapsack” during my time in college and feeling that the veil had been ripped away. There are so very, very many ways in which my privilege as a white person was completely invisible to me, but now, I find that the differences are so glaring. I realize that I will always have more to learn. Being able to step back and examine what we think and believe, as well as why we believe it, it crucial in being able to stay aware of our biases and work to counter them. I do try to ask myself regularly, why do I think this? Why do I believe this? And trace that thought back to its origin to determine if I feel that it is valid and helpful. I also really appreciated the exercise on privilege which focused on the values of our ancestors, and which we want to pass along versus those we want to acknowledge and leave behind. I think this is such an important way to approach a topic that can make people feel very defensive. Maggie, Los Angeles
Erica
April 3, 2022Critical thinking is so important to ethical practice and can be so challenging as a new practitioner. Trying to find my footing and confidence while intentionally reflecting on how I show up to my practice and in what ways I can do better to be more inclusive and enact my privilege in ways that help rather than harm. I really appreciated the document “An Invitation to Talk About Privilege” and I am hoping to take this to an ethics meeting with those who work at my practice so we can reflect and grow together.
KWalker
April 1, 2022I appreciated the post-culturalist discourse, and would love to take this a step further by orienting practice to post-Newtonianism foundation. How can we begin to view our narratives and experience from a quantum perspective, a non-local perspective, a non-finite perspective, a non-individualistic perspective, a non-reductionist perspective? How can we move the conversation forwards in such a way that these concepts become so commonplace that our langauge for them is no longer based on what they are NOT?! Such a stimulating focus for me
(Australia)
Katie Brewer
March 29, 2022“Gradually it dawned on me that the way my father saw the world was only one way to see the world, not the only way to see the world.” – Mary Heath
This quote, for me, sums up critical thinking. The ways that we were taught and shown to look at the world are not the sole ways that the world can be seen. Realizing this is the first step in really thinking critically about how the world has come to be – and what it can become.
My practice is definitely going to be affected by my engagement with these materials. Mary Heath’s piece on critical thinking is something I will go back to again, in part to ensure that I am continuously questioning and critically examining the systems I exist within and the part I play inside them. Leonie Thomas’ writing on poststructuralism is also really impactful; it’s the most succinct description of poststructuralism that I have found to-date and it will definitely help me when I try to explain my practical approach to others. I wholeheartedly agree with the assertion that our identities are constructed within relationships and that they are continually changing and adapting. It feels like coming home to find works that affirm and elaborate upon ideals that I hold dear.
Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
leah.getchell@gmail.com
March 28, 2022So many great insights here, and things are really starting to gel. I see the importance of using critical thinking with those we serve as well as with ourselves in the manner of self reflection as a way of engaging with poststructural thinking. I think i always used to jump to asking clients too abruptly about what their particular problem meant in terms of their underlying values – and this was a difficult question for many. Through the process of asking critically engaged questions, we are able to more easily unearth what our values are – it’s very much about the ‘process’ of unearthing those values that is the real work!