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Research Article
Critical consciousness: Current status and future directions
Article first published online: 6 DEC 2011
DOI: 10.1002/cd.310
Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company
Issue
New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
Special Issue: Youth Civic Development: Work at the Cutting Edge
Volume 2011, Issue 134, pages 43–57, Winter 2011
Additional Information
How to Cite
Watts, R. J., Diemer, M. A. and Voight, A. M. (2011), Critical consciousness: Current status and future directions. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2011: 43–57. doi: 10.1002/cd.310
Publication History
- Issue published online: 6 DEC 2011
- Article first published online: 6 DEC 2011
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors consider Paulo Freire's construct of critical consciousness (CC) and why it deserves more attention in research and discourse on youth political and civic development. His approach to education and similar ideas by other scholars of liberation aims to foster a critical analysis of society—and one's status within it—using egalitarian, empowering, and interactive methods. The aim is social change as well as learning, which makes these ideas especially relevant to the structural injustice faced by marginalized youth. From their review of these ideas, the authors derive three core CC components: critical reflection, political efficacy, and critical action. They highlight promising research related to these constructs and innovative applied work including youth action-research methodology. Their conclusion offers ideas for closing some of the critical gaps in CC theory and research. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.