Fotsch+-+Critical+Theory

Critical Theory - Fotsch's Critical Theory Page __Example #1 - Papal Utterance__ "Si quieres la paz, trabaja por justicia." - Pope Paul VI I saw this bumper sticker on the back of a friend's car. My friend had spent a semester studying in the Dominican Republic through Creighton's Semestre Dominicano program. According to the article by Willmott, critical theory aims to seek social change through an organization. I knew several people who studied and/or participated in service projects in the Dominican Republic and upon their return to the U.S., they were very dedicated to bringing about social change and justice for marginalized groups.

__Example #2 - Nero forgot about Critical Theory__ After the great fire of 64 AD, Nero used the recently cleared space in the city to build his Domus Aurea (Golden House). This opulent palace contained the latest in architectural advances and was lavishly decorated. Nero assumed that as emperor that no one was more powerful than he. If Nero had been able to view the organization of the Roman Empire through the lens of critical theory, he would have realized that the Senate and the people are also very powerful. The Roman Senate declared him to be a public enemy and he died shortly thereafter. If only he realized that power is distributed in many ways...

This reminds me of Colleen Capper's article, because she identifies marginalized groups and how organizational policies, changes, etc. affect those particular groups. She also urges leaders to consider these groups as changes are made in an organization. "Rather than proceeding from the top down, decision making is initiated through teams of people representing different perspectives, and agreement is arrived at through dialogue and consensus" (Capper 1998). Perhaps dear Nero should have consulted the Senate when deciding what to do with the newly available land in downtown Rome. Additionally, in the same article, Capper suggests questions for administrative leadership from different perspectives. One question, which Nero should have asked, according to Capper is, "Do I recognize that power is everywhere and that it can emanate from many different points?" (1998). view from Domus Aurea

__Example #3 - What does Wikipedia say?__ I couldn't resist just copying and pasting from the internet...:) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory

__Example #4 - Invisible Children__ Willmott's article points to three types of knowledge: technical, practical interest, and emancipatory interest. Emancipatory interest "exposes exploitation and develops rational social institutions" (Willmott). The Invisible Children organization was developed in order to bring to light the plight of children soldiers in war-torn Uganda. Brookfield East High School students raised over $10,000 for this organization, which helped to rebuild schools and other basic facilities in Uganda. I see this as a fine example of critical theory because it is aimed at social justice and creating awareness. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php

Anderson says "the theme of invisibility is a recurrent one in the discipline of sociology" and "critical theorists in education have sought a better understanding of the often invisible ways in which social interaction is 'structured,' power wielded..." (1990). The Invisible Children organization clearly espouses what Anderson identifies, even though he writes within the context of education administration. Due to the unjust wielding of power in Uganda, these children, through invisible action, have become victims of war. Therefore, in this example the meaning of "invisible" is two-fold. The children are invisible because they are neglected by society and the actions that have put them in these terrible situations were invisible to them.