-----Mensagem original-----
De: Christian Sebastian <csebasti who-is-at puc.cl>
Para: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Data: Ter=E7a-feira, 4 de Maio de 1999 15:10
Assunto: Re: What is praxis?
>I know the same context of utilization of "praxis" Diane has mentioned: =
the
>work of Paulo Freire. Like other core concepts of freirian theory, the
>first analysis of the liberatory mean of the word is made by Freire in h=
is
>"Pedagog=EDa del oprimido" (I think that there is a translation with a t=
itle
>like this: "Pedagogy of the opressed"... or something else).
>
>I want to add only one aditional issue to the ideas developed by Diane. =
For
>Freire, the "praxis" is the dialectic sinthesys of action and reflection.
>Inside a liberatory practice (tied to the "political act of critical
>self-interrogation" that Diane wrote) there is a circle of influences
>between action and reflection: each one motivates, demands the other,
>movilizes it. The global process of knowing (collectively) the world
>depends on this circle: when it stops the world is petrified for the
>opression and the social categories lost their flexibility.
>
>Due to his dependence of reflection (as I have mentioned above), the
>"praxis" is only a "human praxis". Freire says that the animals are bein=
gs
>of the action (in some kind, of the practice), but the proper place of t=
he
>human being is the "praxis". I think that this idea is very close to the
>work of Vygotsky, specially in the context of the diferences between upp=
er
>psychological processes and lower psychological proceses. The formers, t=
hat
>are characteristics of human beings, can be recognized precisely by the
>reflective control that the person exercises over them.
>
>I know that this notion of "praxis" is rooted directly in the works of K=
arl
>Marx, but I can't to offer you precise references.
>
>I hope these little notes will be useful.
>
>
>Christian Sebastian B.
>
>Psychology Department
>Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
>
>P.S.: I beg your pardon for my english. I know it is horrible, but i lik=
e
>very much the theme of the praxis...
>
>
>At 06:07 PM 03-05-1999 -0800, you wrote:
>>At 17:36 5/4/99, Kwang-Su Cho wrote:
>>>Dear XMCA members
>>>
>>>While I was reading a chapter on activity theory and CSCW(computer
>>>mediated collaborate work), I found a word, praxis. The problem is tha=
t
>>>I don't know the meaning. A English dictionary says Praxis is practice.
>>>However, it's not enough for me to understand the word.
>>>what is the concept of praxis? is it different from activity?
>>>
>>>>From Kwang-Su
>>
>>i understand the word to come out of Paolo Freire' theories on
>>liberatory pedagogy (e.g., Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1977).
>>Praxis is supposed to describe strategic educative relations amongst th=
e
>>learners and teacher.
>>
>>Practice is uncritical teaching,
>>and praxis is a political engagement that explicitly addresses a need f=
or
>>emancipatory and critical work;
>>
>>It is perhaps the "x" that pretends to signal the political significanc=
e;
>>The same change was made to the word
>>"reflective", which means, "... to be thoughtful or contemplative;"
>>
>>but to be _reflexive_ is to think politically on one's privilege and
power,
>>so that, by definition, _reflexivity_ is the political act of critical
>>self-interrogation.
>>
>>Praxis is absolutely different from Activity -
>>
>>Activity is, like Speech, a general term of reference that requires
>>an historical/social relation for meaning.
>>
>>Praxis, on the other hand, presumes a particular historical context has
>>determined the conditions of oppression and inequality
>>In other words, if the learning context were successfully organized as
>>equitable and emancipatory,
>>there would be no need for praxis - Praxis is a method of intervention.
>>.
>>Now i haven't got a reference
>>for any of this so i could be mistaken; however, i know Freire writes
about
>>praxis as liberatory
>>pedagogy.
>>
>>Praxis is a word that has been overused and under-developed; it may wel=
l
be
>>the case the the author you are reading is equating practice with praxi=
s.
>>Certainly overuse is the best way to empty a word of its political
>>intention: the same way
>>a word like "patriarchy" can still accurately describe systemic dominat=
ion
>>and the forced maintenance of women as a slave labour class,
>>the effect of the word has been emptied through repetition, now defused
>>enough so that "patriarchal structures of oppression," for example,
>>sounds like "...a tale told by an idiot: full of sound and fury,
signifying
>>nothing."
>>
>>
>>diane
>>
>>
>>""""""""""""""""""""""" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>> When she walks,
>> the revolution's coming.
>> In her hips, there's revolution.
>> When she talks, I hear revolution.
>> In her kiss, I taste the revolution.
>> (poem by Kathleen Hanna: Riot Grrl)
>>******************************************
>> diane celia hodges
>> university of british columbia
>>centre for the study of curriculum and knowledge
>> vancouver, british columbia, canada
>>
>>
>>
>