In this post I would like to reflect on Jack Mezirow's article "Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood", which was very helpful in differentiating between meaning schemes and meaning perspectives. The former is based on habit or event sequences such as the sun rises in the east and set in the west. The latter, are made up of higher order schemata, which are open to assumptions based on one's past experiences, belief systems, cultural assimilation, etc. I like the example, given in the article about the painting and how one might judge it to be beautiful whereas another person may think it is ugly based on certain stereotypes and/or ways of knowing which are usually imprinted upon us at a very young age.
Reading through Mezirow's article, I learned that critical reflection is to "challenge the validity of presuppositions in prior learning". In this sense, "to be critical, one has to challenge what has already been established as far as the problem and reassess our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling and acting".
The article goes on to identify 3 common areas of distortion in meaning perspective where meaning perspectives can be transformed - epistemic, sociocultural and psychic.
I would like to reflect on the socio-cultural distortion by using the following video:
Reading through Mezirow's article, I learned that critical reflection is to "challenge the validity of presuppositions in prior learning". In this sense, "to be critical, one has to challenge what has already been established as far as the problem and reassess our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling and acting".
The article goes on to identify 3 common areas of distortion in meaning perspective where meaning perspectives can be transformed - epistemic, sociocultural and psychic.
I would like to reflect on the socio-cultural distortion by using the following video:
Socio-cultural distortion is about our "belief systems that pertain to power and social rlationships, especially those currently prevailing and legitimized and enforced by institutions". In the video, it talks about labels which are given from birth. The world "force feeds" us these labels which we must swallow, digest and accept. I really like the part of the video where the speaker talks about his body as a vehicle that he drives around and how people judge him for his body, not for who he is on the inside. The dealership is society who labels certain editions "black" or "white" and once you have a car you are forced to drive it the rest of your life. Growing up in a small town like Sault Ste Marie there are many stereotypes against people who are not white, middle class, "ordinary folk". As such, it is difficult for many of our International students to feel comfortable when they leave our campus which is very diverse. They feel like they do have labels attached to me especially if they wear their customary dress from their home country!
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