Dialogic & Critical Pedagogies: An Interview with Ira Shor

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Published: Jul 3, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5195/dpj.2017.208
Keywords:
social justice dialogic pedagogy democratic higher education critical literacy

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Ira Shor
College of Staten Island, City University of New York, USA
Eugene Matusov
University of Delaware, DE
Ana Marjanovic-Shane
Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA
James Cresswell
Ambrose University, Canada

Abstract

In 2016, the Main Editors of Dialogic Pedagogy Journal issued a call for papers and contributions to a wide range of dialogic pedagogy scholars and practitioners. One of the scholars who responded to our call is famous American educator Ira Shor, a professor at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Shor has been influenced by Paulo Freire with whom he published, among other books, “A Pedagogy for Liberation” (1986), the very first “talking book” Freire did with a collaborator. His work in education is about empowering and liberating practice, which is why it has become a central feature of critical pedagogy.

Shor’s work has touched on themes that resonate with Dialogic Pedagogy (DP). He emphasises the importance of students becoming empowered by ensuring that their experiences are brought to bear. We were excited when Shor responded to our call for papers with an interesting proposal: an interview that could be published in DPJ, and we enthusiastically accepted his offer. The DPJ Main Editors contacted the DPJ community members and asked them to submit questions for Ira. The result is an exciting in-depth interview with him that revolved around six topics: (1) Social Justice; (2) Dialogism; (3) Democratic Higher Education; (4) Critical Literacy versus Traditional Literacy; (5) Paulo Freire and Critical Pedagogy; and (6) Language and Thought. Following the interview, we reflect on complimentary themes and tensions that emerge between Shor’s approach to critical pedagogy and DP.

Article Details

How to Cite
Shor, I., Matusov, E., Marjanovic-Shane, A., & Cresswell, J. (2017). Dialogic & Critical Pedagogies: An Interview with Ira Shor. Dialogic Pedagogy: A Journal for Studies of Dialogic Education, 5. https://doi.org/10.5195/dpj.2017.208
Issue
Vol. 5 (2017)
Section
Scholarship Beyond Essayistic Texts

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Author Biographies

Ira Shor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, USA

Ira Shor is a professor at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, where he teaches composition and rhetoric. He is also doctoral faculty in the Ph.D. Program in English, at The Graduate Center, CUNY. Shor grew up in the working-class area in the South Bronx of New York City. According to Shor, coming from a working-class area had a powerful influence on his thinking, politics and feelings. In collaboration with Paulo Freire, he has been one of the leading exponents of critical pedagogy. Together they co-wrote “A Pedagogy for Liberation.”

Eugene Matusov, University of Delaware, DE

Eugene Matusov is a Professor of Education at the University of Delaware. He studied developmental psychology with Soviet researchers working in the Vygotskian paradigm and worked as a schoolteacher before immigrating to the United States. He uses sociocultural and Bakhtinian dialogic approaches to education. His recent books are: Matusov, E. & Brobst, J. (2013). Radical experiment in dialogic pedagogy in higher education and its Centauric failure: Chronotopic analysis and Matusov, E. (2009). Journey into dialogic pedagogy.

Ana Marjanovic-Shane, Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA

Ana Marjanovic-Shane is an Associate Professor of Education at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia. She studies meaning making, imagination and creativity in children's play, language and in education. She uses the sociocultural and Bakhtinian dialogic orientation to study the dynamics of play, drama and art in education, dialogic educational relationships and educational events, dialogic teacher orientation and . Her articles were published by "Mind, Culture, Activity Journal", "Learning, Culture and Social Interaction", and as book chapters in books on play and education. Contact Address: 1906 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118, USA, anamshane@gmail.com

James Cresswell, Ambrose University, Canada

James Cresswell is an Associate Professor & Program Chair in Psychology at Ambrose University (Calgary Canada).  His work is largely influenced by the philosophy of Mikhail Bakhtin and cultural psychology. Of special interest is Bakhtin’s work on aesthetics in relation to language and how it can enhance current work in education, philosophy of mind, cognitive science of religion, and immigration. His work has been supported by organizations such as the Social Science & Humanities Research Counsel, Templeton Foundation, and Murdoch Charitable Trust.