Criticism involves the utilization of standards in order to make a judgment for the purpose of bringing positive change. Critical theory argues that we should be inquisitive about the production of enlightenment its dissemination and its connection to influence and how this impacts on the individuals; how it limits and contributes to the enhancement of our freedoms (Art 2011). Are we bound to a dominating freedom system or does it offer us a liberating system of government? The theory originates from the Frankfurt school in Germany.
Critical theorists begin with the thought that men and women are essentially enclosed in a world that does not have enough freedom and the world in which is filled with contradictions and irregularities in the dissemination of power. The theorist give the opinion that the theories in themselves are firstly dialectal in that they will recognize the issues facing the society and will not view them as secluded events but rather will see the problems as part of the interactive composition between the individuals and the society (Rose, 1990).
The theory of critical thinking was first defined Max Horkheimer from the Frankfurt school in 1937. E. the theory Critical theory is a social theory that is centered on making a critique about the society and giving solution or possible alternatives that will enable the society to have positive outcomes. This theory is opposed to the traditional theory that only seeks to understand the society as it is giving explanation for the occurrence of situations, but not offering any plausible solutions.
He wanted to differentiate the radical nature of the critical theory from the Marxian theory of the time that was endorsed by quite a number of theorist by having some core concepts of the theory that included: that the critical theory should be one that offers a directive to the totality of the society in which we live and make reference to its specific historical markup. In it we learn how the said society came into existence and the values that made it thrive and those that failed the society (Rose, 1990).
The second core concept is that the theory should understand and formulate ways to properly understand the society by combine all the major social sciences including psychology , geography, economics and so forth to aid in improving the society value system. The critical theory can be defined in both modern and post-modern contexts. In the modernist context, the theory concerns itself with the forms of authority and injustice that followed the evolution of the industrial and commercial capitalism as a political-economic system (Baylis et al 2013). On the other hand the post-modernist critical theorist are of the notion that the theory is primarily used to place the social problems by placing them in contexts of historical and cultural fronts and we use this situations to analyze he available data and measure their findings.
Critical theorists are of the view that the culture we are living in is the expression of the human awareness brought on by the day to day living. It is important to realize that the humans are the designers of their future and this theory advocates for the enhancement of thinking based on the critical thinking (Baylis et al 2013). The theory enhances the individuals in the society to develop truths for themselves that are not confined to a certain way of thinking.
It is wrong to assume that us because things have been seen from a particular way over a long period does not imply that it should remain that way. The members of the Frankfurt school who devised the theory of critical thinking were concerned with the matters of culture, power and struggle which are still very relevant today in the development of our society.
Relevance of critical thinking in modern education
Many countries have the problems of social class, unequal distribution of resources, poor working conditions, poorly paid workers, gender disparity, poor standard in education and the conditions in which the students are subjected to. Critical theorists call for the individuals to resist the reproduction of a culture that is within the sphere of influence of the ruling majority (Art 2011). Instead, the theorists call for the review of the education system and the bringing in of a curriculum that advocates equal distribution of resources and one which will effect positive change in the society.
Schools have a strong role in the shaping of the society. Every student takes cue from the learning experiences they encounter in the learning institutions. The education system is at the forefront of shaping the society we live in today. They can shape a transformative culture that is dynamic in its thinking or develop one that is stuck in viewing issues from an enclosed manner.
Critical theory is dialectical in nature in this effect it gives the persons responsible for strategizing the education system to analyze the effects of the learning process and the results it brings forth (Baylis et al 2013). The theory gives the educators a chance to make reference to the curriculum and its relevance to the students to whom the education is offered. The school setting in this theory is seen as more than just a center for students to receive an education, but it is seen as an avenue for not only transmission of knowledge but its reproduction as well. It gives an avenue for interaction of cultures and the unification of the similarities as well as the differences.
The theory in the educational context seeks to question the way in which the education system can offer quality education to all persons regardless of the class stratification. It is paramount to note that the breaking down of class in a society will see the disadvantaged children offered substandard education due to the poor conditions they are subjected to. Poor condition will mean they are not afforded up to date technology or enough teachers. It will reflect on their school work, and they are sure to perform poorly as compared to their counterparts in their middle and upper classes (Rose, 1990).
Technology is a major part of education in today’s life. We have immense relations with technology be it a business or educational world. Many companies that recruit employees require them to be technology savvy with a basic understanding of using smart gadgets. The education system in the 21st century offers for technology as part and parcel of the curriculum (Giroux, 1983).
The problem arises when the access to technology is not as widespread as we would like to be. Poorer regions will not have the access to the technology as opposed to the more affluent neighborhoods. These neighborhoods will not be concerned with having the latest gadgets as they will have more pressing matters. Critical thinking involves having every student having access to good education. The current world has placed most of its activities around technology and those who do not conform to it are left behind and cannot be said to be ‘digital’.
Where technology is not easily available to poorer communities and schools will make it harder for them to keep up with their counterparts from better communities. The lack of technology will hamper the students from getting a good education. Schools are composed of individuals from different backgrounds and they all come to the school with the aim of improving their current situation.
These students from poorer backgrounds are exposed to technology at much later stages in their lives as opposed to the students from fairly well to do backgrounds. It puts them far behind their students and will not be in a position to catch up. There are students who are exposed to smart gadgets do so at early stages of life while they are still learning to walk and talk while some from disadvantaged backgrounds will access it while they are in schools. These two classes of people cannot be on similar grounds. So what then is the best way for the teachers to include these students?
Critical theory advocates that the students should be offered the opportunity to interact and familiarize themselves with all these gadgets. The teachers need to understand that students who are not exposed to technology early enough cannot be on the same level as those who have had access to it all their life. With patience and constant exposure to the technology, such students will eventually learn and become comfortable with the materials and be at par with their counterparts (Art 2011).
Musical education is another way in which critical theory can be studied. As the cultures evolve so do the various components that shape it. One of these is the music that they society is exposed to. Ten years ago the music that was playing on the airwaves is not at all similar to that which we are exposed to. Music has been used in history to tell stories and unite different persons regardless of their disparity.
The music programs designed for schools play an important role in retaining and recreation of different cultures. Music has been used by educators to overcome social hurdles and the discrimination that the society can place upon the individual. Music has been known to be a universal language that unites all people. Music has been seen to get rid of the disparities by acting as an agent of change and cultural growth (Apple, 1982). It gives a proper chance for the learners to express themselves by giving accounts of the challenges they face on a daily basis, the things that make life worth living, they show their fears, their pains, and their hopes and so forth better than they would have in a classroom setting.
It is important for the educators to come up with a curriculum that offers for the development of the students’ individuality and one that allows for them to have an idea of who they are. The education they receive should not have them fit a box or in a way that the society expects them to be. It will not see the reproduction of the culture that they are exposed, but will instead have the generation that is not at liberty to formulate their ideologies or change that which does not work anymore. Critical theory offers an education that has the students who are let out to the society as those that are makers of the history and can make a contribution to the betterment of the society.
It has been established that the current schools systems do not offer the necessary tool for the student to develop thinking that is critical or one that will transform their lives for the better. While music should offer a freedom of sorts to the students, it has seen domination by the educators. It is a common occurrence to see teachers in charge of the music programs in the schools taking over the kind of music that should be played and studied and leaves very little room for creativity by the students to whom the education is placed upon.
The teachers are in charge of coming up with a curriculum that serves the need of the students as they see fit. The education system has seen as the teachers practically dominate, and the same can be seen in the music programs offered by schools. We can, therefore, see that power struggles are not only in the political front, but they start from the classroom. Since the teachers essentially control the curriculum they decide on the experiences that the students will encounter the cultures and traditions that will be studied (Apple, 1982). Sometimes this may be biased either for the majority or for the minority groups that compose the school setting. The teachers will determine the ideologies and traditions to be discussed and the value system that will be adhered to. It then becomes hard for the student to properly understand themselves as they cannot think for themselves on an independent front.
This autonomy by the teachers will not properly reflect the inner objectives of the learners they are tasked with educating. Since critical theory offers for equal rights to access of information for all persons, such dominance will have some students not fulfilled as far as learning is concerned. It may not cover the background or value systems of these students a whole. In the end, the education system ignores either some or all the individuals needs and wants and in its place it cultivates a culture that is accepting of a culture placed upon them, and they do so unconsciously.
Critical theory can, therefore, have a place in finding integration between the education system, school experiences, the society and the culture in which we are thrust. It is an important aspect in developing an all inclusive music program across schools in America. So much so that a think tank was formed to apply the theories of critical thinking and theory into formulating a program that seeks to show the importance that music has to any culture past, present and future and that it is vital in the education of all persons (Gramsci, 1971).
Some of the ideas discussed brought out interesting aspects such as the great influence that music teachers have in the development and transformation of any culture; the knowledge of music by the music educators should be broad beyond the cultures they are based in. Their knowledge should be quite experienced in order to include the need of the students. The music studied should be reflective and evoke a thought process among the students. It is also vital to have a critical thinking into the institutions that offer musical studies (Rose, 1990).
Critical theories are better placed at finding solutions that its counterpart the problem-solving theory. The problems in this theory are classified into well defined which are those that have clear and specified goals and the ill-defined problems that do not have distinctly drawn goals or solutions. The critical theory is holistic in its ways to resolve problems while the problem-solving theory is analytic. The critical thinking differs from the problem-solving as it encompasses the advent of the issue from its cultural and historical background to its current standing.
Conclusion
Problem-solving theories are more intellectual and require higher level skills to resolve. Most of the techniques used include artificial intelligence, mathematics, medicine, computer science among others. Critical thinking involves utilizing the experiences of the individuals I the given society and using them to aid in understanding the lessons further. The most effective ways of critical thinking in the education system involved sharing the experiences of the students into the curriculum and going further from the classroom setting.
The problem-solving concept will offer a clinical solution that may not resonate well with the students. The solutions offered by the problem-solving theories are not as dynamic as the ones given by the school of critical theorists. The curriculum offered is one that is individualized and caters to the need of all the students on different levels. As opposed to the previous curriculum that that was dominated by the teaching fraternity and did little to involve the needs of the students to whom the education was aimed (Abrahams, 2002).
References
Abrahams, F. (2002). Jubilate: A music curriculum for the adolescent soul. Unpublished Manuscript, Rider University.
Art, R. J. (2011). International politics: Enduring concepts and contemporary issues. Boston: Longman.
Baylis et al (2013). The globalization of world politics: an introduction to international relations. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Giroux, H. (1983). Theory and resistance in education. Boulder: Westview Press.
Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from prison notebooks of Antonio Gramsci. Q. Hoare & G. Smith (Trans. and Eds.). New York: International Publishers
Rose, A. M. (1990). Music education in culture: A critical analysis of reproduction production and hegemony. Doctoral dissertation University of Wisconsin, Madison. Ann Arbor:
