[marianj]

Critical literacy thus challenges the status quo in an effort to discover alternative paths for self and social development. This kind of literacy--words rethinking worlds, self dissenting in society--connects the political and the personal, the public and the private, the global and the local, the economic and the pedagogical, for rethinking our lives and for promoting justice in place of inequity. Critical literacy, then, is (1) an attitude towards history, as Kenneth Burke might have said; or (2) a dream of a new society against the power now in power, as Paulo Freire proposed; or (3) an insurrection of subjugated knowledge, in the ideas of Michel Foucault; or (4) a counter-hegemonic structure of feeling, as Raymond Williams theorized; or (5) a multicultural resistance invented on the borders of crossing identities, as Gloria Anzaldua imagined; or (6) language used against fitting unexceptionably into the status quo, as Adrienne Rich declared.

[Schoolmarm97]

Essentially, all six mean achieving a level of literacy that allows for critical thinking to take place as follows:
1. In reviewing history with the thought in mind that there were reasons for the events that must be understood and that the outcome has repercussions in current day.
2. The ability to put together ideas from various sources to begin to see alternatives to the current situation.
3. To avoid being stuck in a rut of thought processes that preclude originality and merely follow a prescribed path.
4. To be aware enough to engage in social uprisings against the established bureaucracy--one must understand the repercussions as well as history in order to engage in social uprising.
5. To be able to understand the differences between cultural identities (Anzaldua is a feminist writer, writing on women's and lesbian issues) in order to cross the boundaries between them.
6. And the ability to use and understand language well enough to grasp the concepts put forth by socio-political writers such as Rich, who is a feminist writing some outstanding, ground-breaking poetry in defense of women.

I hope that helps.

[marianj]

Thank you that was very helpful.

[Schoolmarm97]

Glad I could help. :)