The Clemente Course in the Humanities and critical pedagogy : a comparative analysis of Earl Shorris and bell hooks on poverty, racism, imperialism and patriarchy

The Clemente Course in the Humanities is an anti-poverty intervention for adults who self-identity as "poor" and humanities instructors. The course was created in 1995 by journalist Earl Shorris, who based the curriculum on a Socratic method of pedagogy and the "great books" canon of Robert Hutchins. It began as a community-based initiative in urban US settings, but since 1997 Mayan, Yup'ik and Cherokee iterations have been created, as well as on-campus bridge courses for non-traditional students to explore college-level education in Canada and the USA. The course potentially conflicts with critical pedagogy because the critical theories of Paulo Freire and contemporary cultural studies reject traditional notions of both the canon and teaching. However, a comparison between Shorris' and bell hooks' theories of oppression reveals significant similarities between his "surround of force" and her "capitalist imperialist white supremacist patriarchy," with implications for liberal studies and critical pedagogy.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. Social Justice and Equity Studies

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Faculty of Social Sciences

Department dc:contributor.department

Social Justice and Equity Studies Program

Grantor

Brock University

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Trowbridge, Terry

• Poor--Education.
• Poor children--Education.
• Economic assistance, Domestic
• Poor--Political activity.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10464/2955

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:brocku.scholaris.ca:10464/2955