Quote: "A critical theory is any approach to humanities and social philosophy that focuses on society and culture to attempt to reveal, critique, and challenge power structures."
The theoretical framework that underpins critical thinking and analysis in comparative ethnic studies.
Intersectionality: The interconnectedness of various systems of oppression such as race, gender, sexuality, and class.
Hegemony: The dominance of a particular group over others, often maintained through cultural values and beliefs.
Postcolonialism: The study of the legacy of colonialism and its impact on contemporary societies.
Orientalism: The representation of non-Western cultures as exotic or inferior in Western discourse and media.
Black feminism: The intersection of feminist theory and black struggle for social and economic equality.
Queer theory: The exploration of gender and sexuality as social constructs that are open to fluidity and change.
Structuralism: The study of how social institutions and systems influence individual behavior and thought.
Psychoanalytic theory: The examination of unconscious desires and motivations and their effects on behavior and society.
Cultural studies: The analysis of popular culture and media as agents of socialization and power.
Postmodernism: The rejection of absolute truth and certainty in favor of multiple interpretations and alternative perspectives.
Feminist theory: The examination of gender inequality and the ways in which patriarchal systems shape social dynamics.
Marxism: The analysis of class struggle and economic inequality as the primary drivers of societal conflict.
Critical race theory: The exploration of race as an ideological construct that informs political, economic, and social power structures.
Decoloniality: The search for alternatives to colonialism and the dismantling of colonial legacies in politics, economics, and culture.
Phenomenology: The study of subjective experience and perception as the basis for understanding social reality.
Environmental justice: The pursuit of social and environmental equity for marginalized communities impacted by environmental degradation and pollution.
Coloniality: The ongoing imposition of colonial structures and values in contemporary society.
Neoliberalism: The economic and political ideology that promotes free-market capitalism and the privatization of public resources.
Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness of the world economy and culture, often at the expense of marginalized communities.
Critical pedagogy: The use of education as a tool for social transformation and liberation, rather than simply the transmission of knowledge.
Critical Race Theory: Examines the relationships between race and societal power structures, highlighting the ways in which racial divisions have historically been constructed and enforced in societies.
Queer Theory: Focuses on the ways in which sexuality, gender, and power are constructed and performative in society, emphasizing how these norms and constructions impact individuals and communities.
Feminist Theory: Explores the ways in which gender shapes social, cultural, and political structures, and highlights the contributions and challenges that women experience in all of these contexts.
Disability Studies: Examines the impact of physical and mental impairments on individuals and how the treatment of people with disabilities is shaped by societal norms and cultural values.
Postcolonial Theory: Analyzes the ways in which the legacies of colonialism have impacted societies, cultures, and individuals, and how marginalized people have resisted and adapted to these structures.
Critical Whiteness Studies: Explores the ways in which whiteness has traditionally been seen as the normative or default identity in social, cultural, and political contexts, and how this affects non-white people and communities.
Critical Indigenous Studies: Examines the experiences, perspectives, and contributions of Indigenous peoples throughout the world, highlighting the ways in which colonization, racism, and other forms of oppression have affected those communities.
Marxist Theory: Analyzes economic power structures and the ways in which class divisions shape political and social life.
Quote: "it argues that social problems stem more from social structures and cultural assumptions rather than from individuals."
Quote: "With roots in sociology and literary criticism..."
Quote: "The Frankfurt School theoreticians Herbert Marcuse, Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Erich Fromm, and Max Horkheimer..."
Quote: "Critical theory finds applications in various fields of study, including psychoanalysis, sociology, history, communication theory, philosophy, and feminist theory."
Quote: "Critical Theory (capitalized) is a school of thought practiced by the Frankfurt School theoreticians [...] and on the other any philosophical approach that seeks to liberate people from all forms of oppression..."
Quote: "Philosophical approaches within this broader definition include feminism, critical race theory, post-structuralism, queer theory, and forms of postcolonialism."
Quote: "Horkheimer described a theory as critical insofar as it seeks 'to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them'."
Quote: "Although a product of modernism, and although many of the progenitors of Critical Theory were skeptical of postmodernism, Critical Theory is one of the major components of both modern and postmodern thought..."
Quote: "In addition to its roots in the first-generation Frankfurt School, critical theory has also been influenced by György Lukács and Antonio Gramsci."
Quote: "Additionally, second-generation Frankfurt School scholars have been influential, notably Jürgen Habermas."
Quote: "In Habermas's work, critical theory transcended its theoretical roots in German idealism and progressed closer to American pragmatism."
Quote: "Concern for social 'base and superstructure' is one of the remaining Marxist philosophical concepts in much contemporary critical theory."