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!

This Post Has 268 Comments

  1. Martin

    As a white, heterosexual, middle-class, able-bodied education professional in my mid-50s, I am all-too-painfully aware of the deeply-embedded cultural and social conditioning that I have been subjected to in my lifetime; and therefore also the duty I have to the attendees of my workshops not to let any of that impact upon or influence my connections and conversations with them. Having said that, I have never really conformed to ‘the norm’ when it came to toeing the patriarchal line, recognising from an early age the cultural damage that has been perpetrated through toxic masculinity on an institutional level. Several strong female influences in my life, my mother included, have long since made me apply critical thinking to the underlying control mechanisms present at all levels of society. Finding that Narrative Therapy takes a post-structuralist view of people’s lives is like a breath of fresh air. I truly believe we need to move away from the idea of the individual as a ‘fixed’, set-in-stone ‘island’ when it comes to personal evolution, and acknowledge the huge influence that society at large has in moulding and shaping our lives. By regularly and consistently applying critical thinking to our own – sometimes hidden – prejudices, we avoid falling into the trap of thinking that there is ‘an’ answer, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to a particular problem or issue. Critical thinking allows a fluidity in both our approaches and responses to the problems of the individual, or indeed a whole community. I particularly like Mary Heath’s point about the ‘medium and the message’: that many of our subconscious prejudices can surreptitiously find their way into the collective consciousness via persuasive media – sometimes without even the creator(s) of that media being aware of such harmful messages. Applying critical thinking to such endeavours ensures a rigorous ‘double-check’ of our own conditioned cultural and social assumptions.

  2. mara.bennett

    Hello, my name is Mara and I’m a counsellor in Qld. I related to Heath’s personal reflection at the beginning of her article – that she grew up in a largely close-minded place where she was socialized into a particular way of thinking and being. I grew up in a very small town which, looking back, I realize now had many racist and homophobic beliefs that were quite mainstream. I had a similar “awakening” to Heath when I went to university and studied sociology – I spent many years learning about how to think critically! A particularly impactful textbook I read, if anyone is interested, was called “Power and Everyday Practices.” See here: https://utorontopress.com/9781487588229/power-and-everyday-practices-second-edition/

    It has a series of essays that explore the ways in which power is exercised in the smallest of taken-for-granted activities – extremely eye opening. To me, critical thinking is an ongoing project that has become more a way of life than something I just did for awhile at university – it’s a new way of being, a journey with no end.

  3. James

    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’?

    Critical thinking to me is an important skill for everyone. It allows us to keep an open mind on all stances, and can allow us to develop the positive and negative understanding of a position that someone or ourselves may share. It is an important skill for reflection. As a therapist, it is important to have the critical thinking skill as it allows to be constantly reflecting and refining our work with others as well as with new clients who approach with new challenges.

    My practice will definitely be different with the idea of privilege and cultural differences in mind after reviewing these materials. The idea that I am somewhat across certain aspects of culture such as Indigenous Australians but that I could potentially be enacting privilege. I noted, that similarly in the document created by Raheim et al. (2004), that someone noted that they are most likely to enact privilege when they are rushed, which I find is also a risk factor of my own.

  4. latriece27

    Latriece from Hartford by way of Chicago. Critical thinking means keeping one’s mind open to other ideas, knowledge, and possibilities/ approaches to ways of living. Allowing space for flexibility, creativity, and reflective thinking creates the conditions for individuality to thrive. I also believe it creates the conditions within which healing can occur. When we allow ourselves to examine life through multiple lenses we create space for flourishing.

  5. k.e.m.taylor@gmail.com

    This is Kirsten, learning on Dja Dja Wurrung land in Central Victoria, AU. To me critical thinking means reflecting on my thoughts, words, and actions, and considering them from different perspectives. It also means living with a questioning mind, which I often find difficult to do in a world that promotes certainty and clarity. It means remembering that I need other people in order to truly get to know the world. Something I would like to do differently is to ask people more about their ways of learning when we begin meeting – at the moment I think my way of learning dominates in the conversations. Also, I offer mindfulness interventions in my work and I think it would be better to ask people if they have practices of contemplation/prayer/awareness from their own traditions. I like Rilke’s idea of ‘living the questions’ to remind me of critical thinking.

  6. Teresa Wheeler

    I think for me, engaging regularly in reflective supervision keeps me thinking critically. It can be very easy to get caught up in my own way of thinking and viewing the world, and I realised this when I started to attend some anti-racist professional groups. Having the time to sit with others and really reflect on my own practice, my own assumptions and what I think do with this made a huge impact and I do try to ensure that I make space for this time as it is just as important, if not more important than the direct work that I do.

    I am a tutor on a masters course and critical thinking is on every single mark scheme for each assignment, and I think it is a tricky part to explain as often it is viewed as “finding evidence that suggests that this idea is not accurate”. Whilst this can form part of critical thinking, i think it is an oversimplification, and critical thinking revolves more around looking and understanding the roots of the thought/idea/argument and being able to make the best informed understanding that you can from this.

  7. daron.askin

    What does critical thinking mean to me
    To this point critical thinking has been centred on Social Work practice and ideas of evidence informed practice. This is the first time that I have been introduced to ideas of critical thinking from a poststructuralist perspective. It has been helpful to think of how these ideas have informed therapy – I am at a point in my professional development where I do things that ‘seem to work’ but I am not always sure why or where in the literature they may exist. I have begun using Burnham’s approach, method, technique to help with informing my practice with increased understanding of why I do what I do.
    How will my practice be different after engaging with this material
    A small difference, but an important one, is the suggestion of the influence of poststructuralist ideas to use mechanisms within therapy to check on the usefulness of what is being talked about – I have done this for some time but only now do I understand where this comes from and the wider ideas attached.
    What keeps me connected
    I believe going forward that Burnham’s approach, method, technique will help to keep me connected to critical thinking and having positive influences on my practice.

  8. Claire Nulsen

    Hi, I’m Claire from Perth in Australia, though I’m currently living in Youghal, Ireland. I found the process of reflecting on the individualistic values bought by my European ancestors to Australia as well as the assumption of hard work resulting in ‘success’ (and the narrow Anglo-centric view of what ‘success’ looks like) really interesting to complete. The article contrasting structuralism (which appears consistent with the CBT approach to understanding client presentations – which is the primary mode of therapy that I was trained in) and post-structuralism (which appears consistent with Positive Behaviour Support – which is the primary mode of therapy I currently use) prompted me to reflect on my assumptions about client presentations.

  9. amashilda

    Hello, my name is Mariya. I live in Minsk, Belarus. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and interpret information logically and objectively to form well-reasoned and informed judgments or decisions. It involves questioning assumptions and considering multiple perspectives to reach a one’s conclusion. I can use critical thinking to approach situations in an unbiased way. This helps me to come up with more accurate and effective solutions. Here’s my favourite quote: “The key to critical thinking is powerful questioning”

  10. Elena Brieño

    ELENA BRIEÑO FROM MEXICO
    This topic was so confrontative because, in my own story, the idea of having critical thinking has been indicated like something bad because that means going to another side to the normality. Now I can understand that is well to move on in my own direction, and what will let me do this? Critical Thinking. Then, I started to confront my structuralism to open my mind to poststructuralism, giving me the chance to be a better partner in the counseling process of others.

    Was an amazing lesson!

  11. Jocilyn Csernyik

    What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
    A central theme I reflected on from this module is that trends in society/theoretical perspectives help to develop and influence the individual mindset/what they think about critically, and resultingly critical thinking in 2023 looks very different from critical thinking in 1923. I also think that it’s not just about the ‘what’ we are thinking about, but it’s also the ‘why’ behind why we consider devoting time and thought to subjects, which also circles back to relevancy in trends within current culture and society. With these considerations in mind, to me, critical thinking is challenging existing thoughts with parallel information and drawing on our experiences/knowledge to determine what we think and why.

    How might your practice be different on account of your engagement with these materials?
    I think it’s important to interact with information, such as the information presented in these modules, on a regular basis in order to constantly challenge beliefs, commit to a growth mindset, and maintain openness to new ideas and change in order to adapt support to be effective and receptive to client needs.

    Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?
    I consistently find myself using the phrase “zoom out” the microscope in my work with students as a way to help them recognize that today’s issues may be all-consuming, however, tomorrow is coming with all of its possibilities and opportunities that can allow for growth and change– so long as they are receptive to it. I think this idea is not only a critical-thinking approach to life, but it is also a growth-oriented mindset that can sustain them in their endeavors to navigating change and conflict, ultimately helping them to build skills of resiliency and self-sufficiency.

  12. Sonya

    Sonya from New Zealand,

    What does ‘critical thinking’ mean to you?
    I used to think that critical thinking was me just reflecting back over a piece of knowledge and assessing if I am right or wrong. Now, critical thinking seems like my awareness of how I am thinking with an other, and what thoughts/stories have we co-constructed (without the aim of being right/wrong). Mindfulness of whether or not I am imposing my own ideas is important.

  13. Jennifer

    Jennifer from Wellington New Zealand
    I have been endlessly fascinated in the pursuit of a criteria for selfhood as well as the expression of self. I feel the discussion of privilege in this section when accompanied by the discussion on Post-Structuralism offers up a critical juncture for contemplation: that as therapists that our practice can intentionally or unintentionally determine the value or presence of another’s self. How we engage and practice with our clients particularly with those whose presentation of themselves does not fit into our cultural or typical lens for what is healthy, can be used as a template for how others respond to the individual. It reinforces to me that it is important that our engagement with critical thinking about ourselves and our clients keeps us in a place of informed responsiveness to our clients rather than reactive as our patterns of practice become more ingrained.

  14. yekta

    Hi all, I am writing from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

    My name is Yekta.
    Id like to discuss what critical thinking means to me. in the context of narrative therapy.
    Critical thinking is the capacity to impartially analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information and ideas. In narrative therapy, it plays a pivotal role in helping individuals separate their identity from their problems. Narrative therapy underscores that individuals are not defined by their issues, and critical thinking supports this notion. It enables individuals to objectively examine the narratives they construct about themselves and their problems, identifying underlying assumptions and societal influences within those narratives. Moreover, critical thinking empowers individuals to generate alternative, more empowering narratives, facilitating a more objective and constructive approach to addressing personal challenges. In narrative therapy, critical thinking empowers individuals to deconstruct and reconstruct their life narratives, reinforcing the idea that problems can be addressed separately from one’s identity, promoting personal growth and healing.

  15. uma

    Uma from Alberta, Canada. In regards to the question: “Do you have any stories or sayings that keep you connected to ‘critical thinking’?” I like to connect this to the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” which encourages critical thinking by questioning initial judgments based on appearances.

    I find that narratives that highlight personal growth, resilience, and transformation can foster critical thinking. Stories of individuals who have overcome adversity or redefined their life stories can serve as inspiring examples for clients to explore their own narratives critically.

  16. Nancy Bell

    Hello, I’m Nancy from Brisbane, Australia. This is another interesting area for reflection; a fundamental pillar to sound community practice. I learnt the importance of critical thinking and action during social work training early in my career many years ago, however it is one of those planks that needs to be constantly waved to keep our ‘eyes on our fries.’ It is so easy to fall back into our comfortable ways of thinking and working, often unconsciously trapped inside our own world of assumptions. I am aware of some of the very real barriers to best practice in my work with older people. I haven’t been a really old person yet, although I feel I am racing up the fairway now! In this way I can never really know how a very frail aged person might be feeling in a specific moment. I can work at developing a strong relationship with the older person over time, being aware that I’m largely ignorant of their daily experience of life, and I can ask diplomatic and sensitive questions of the person in question, and I do. This does help a lot, as does humour. Humour or at the very least a friendly manner doesn’t need to be inappropriate or coarse, but can sometimes be used quite effectively to gain greater insight to someone’s lived experience without damage to either party. Fundamental to all of this is ongoing reflective self awareness and of course this is the great starting point.
    I have been away for a while and apologise for the time lapse in my postings. I am genuinely enjoying the content of these learnings. Thank you. Nancy Bell.

  17. andrewkilgour

    Andrew from Newcastle,

    As a teacher we can often fall into the traps of critical thinking as being a mechanism to find the flaws in a position or to question the validity or relevance of information. The article on critical thinking was a good reminder to focus on the richness or multiple perspectives and how we can use these to create a more holistic picture of what’s going on, with each view holding importance. The chapter really made me reflect on the way we work with Aboriginal students and their families and how my own privilege impacts these interactions and how it is reflected in the system in which our school operates. I think there is opportunities for us as a school and myself as a teacher to ask questions of ourselves on how that privilege can impact others and how we can change.

  18. Nina Mc

    Sydney, NSW. I love the link between critical thinking and intersectionality in practice. Working mostly in private practice, I find I explore these types of issues almost daily and specifically I find the use of critical thinking to increase sympathy and understanding very helpful when I find myself getting caught up in the room and outside of it. Explored what assumptions I am holding on to and looking at the evidence that might challenge them is critical to ethical practice. Love this section. Thanks!

  19. rachel.crowe

    Hi! I’m from Melbourne, Australia. Critical thinking, to me, is to embody the idea that Mary Heath shares that her father’s view
    (or anyone’s view) of the world is not “the only way to see the world”. To stay in that space understanding that lived experience, beliefs, values and privilege can have profound impact on perspective.

    Having engaged with these materials shortly after Michael White’s history of narrative practice, I can’t help but think about how when we aren’t being critical thinkers, we are drawn away from the idea of ‘solidarity’ with our clients. That continually grounding ourselves in this space is essential to understand our client’s stories, how these narratives are formed and how we can work with them to construct alternative narratives.

  20. anjali.patil

    Hello. I am Anjali from Singapore.

    Post structuralism
    The point about “therapists are in the business of assisting people in the creation and re- creation of their identities” as “our identities are continually being made up” has added a new dimension to how I see the role of therapists. I feel like this places an even greater responsibility to be mindful of how questions are worded and to ensure that they do not lead/nudge towards a particular direction. It’s poetically summed up in “what we are looking for, what we believe and where we come from will shape both, how we look and what we find”.

    Privilege
    The words “many of us have had hardships in our life but it is not the same as a lack of privilege” have made me reflect on my own privileges and how I had not considered so many aspects of my life as “privileged”. It has made me more sensitive to consider the constraints that lack of the same privileges may be placing on those who consult me and to listen more carefully to ensure that I’m not inadvertently marginalising and diminishing their lives and subordinating their stories”.

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