Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Instruction
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Communications in Information Literacy Volume 9 Issue 2 Article 9 12-1-2015 Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Instruction Jessica Critten University of West Georgia, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit Part of the Information Literacy Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Critten, J. (2015). Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Instruction. Communications in Information Literacy, 9 (2), 145-156. https://doi.org/10.15760/ comminfolit.2015.9.2.191 This open access Special Feature is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). All documents in PDXScholar should meet accessibility standards. If we can make this document more accessible to you, contact our team. Critten: Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Ins Volume 9, Issue 1, 2015 [FEATURE ARTICLE] IDEOLOGY AND CRITICAL SELF- REFLECTION IN INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION Jessica Critten Information literacy instruction traditionally University of West Georgia focuses on evaluating a source for bias, relevance, and timeliness, and rightfully so; this critical perspective is vital to a well- formed research process. However, this process is incomplete without a similar focus on the potential biases that the student brings to his or her interactions with information. This paper describes a case study of a semester-long information literacy course that utilized neo- Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser’s figurations of ideology and ideological state apparatuses as a site of critical self-reflection for students and a method by which students could become empowered to recognize themselves as not just consumers, but shapers of discourse. [THOUGHTS ON THE FRAMEWORK] 145 Published by PDXScholar, 2015 Communications in Information Literacy, Vol. 9, Iss. 2 [2015], Art. 9 Critten, Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection Communications in Information Literacy 9(2), 2015 INTRODUCTION perception, and politics (Seale, 2013; Bales and Engle, 2012). A fair response to this The ACRL Framework for Information criticism could be that the Framework has Literacy for Higher Education (2015) has been designed to be purposefully broad and asserted that information literacy “depends open to adaptation and interpretation. As on…metacognition, or critical self- such, there is room in the discussion of reflection.” In the Framework, this critical critical self-reflection to include an self-reflection comes in the form of, among examination of one’s own meaning-making other things, “understand[ing] the process, and how understanding the social, responsibility that comes with entering the political, and cultural forces that shape and conversation through participatory filter information is a means of channels”, “valu[ing] intellectual curiosity”, empowerment. In that spirit, this paper will “develop[ing] and maintain[ing] an open outline how the author utilized the concept mind when encountering varied and of ideology (by way of Marxist philosopher sometimes conflicting perspectives”, and Louis Althusser) as a site of critical self- being “conscious that maintaining these reflection and source of empowerment in a actions and attitudes require frequent self- semester-long information literacy course. evaluation.” CRITICAL FOUNDATIONS These descriptions of critical self-reflection paint a picture of an active learner who In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire understands that his or her perspectives (and (2003) writes that the formation of a critical potential biases) can disrupt and shape the consciousness, or conscientization, is the meaning-making process of research. That process of recognizing that a learning the Framework privileged this disposition as person is not yet fully formed but becomes vital to being considered “information more human through his or her education. literate” is encouraging, as so much of the Freire eschewed the traditional "banking" practical work of information literacy system of education wherein knowledge is instruction focuses on evaluation as an directive and static. Critical pedagogy outward-looking act; instead of asking, instead positions the student to be an agent “how might my viewpoints affect how I use of his or her own learning and formation. this information?” the question is often only Here, the process of learning is personal and “how does the author’s viewpoints affect considerate of the ways that certain social, how he or she presents information?” political, and cultural forces serve as pillars of oppression for students. In this sense, The Framework is meant to be a document critical pedagogy is a tool for social justice that informs the shaping of pedagogy rather perhaps more so than it is an educational than a pedagogy itself. Though much philosophy. Critical pedagogy also allows improved in revision and in its emphasis on students to give their experience a larger the very affective process of critical self- local, national, and global context. Seeing reflection, the Framework does not go far themselves as citizens of the world affords enough in asserting how information them certain responsibilities to be proactive, creation and consumption is tied to power, informed, and unambivalent. [THOUGHTS ON THE FRAMEWORK] 146 https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/vol9/iss2/9 DOI: 10.15760/comminfolit.2015.9.2.191 Critten: Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Ins Critten, Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection Communications in Information Literacy 9(2), 2015 Elmborg (2006) asserted that the purpose of that often, “...those in places of power information literacy should be to institute a within the academy may simply be aligning “critical consciousness” in students. One themselves with the dominant ideologies of might also think of this critical the institution and not analyzing their consciousness as the critical self-reflection behaviors and assumptions…” (p. 17). that is foundational to the Framework’s Cushla Kaptizke (2003) critiques the definition of information literacy. “By traditional “operational approach” of developing critical consciousness, students information literacy that “emphasizes the learn to take control of their lives and their consumption of information but lacks own learning to become active agents, metaknowledge because it neglects the asking and answering questions that matter sociocultural, historical and ideological to them and to the world around processes of knowledge construction and them” (Elmborg, p. 193). This suggests a justification” (p. 46.) This approach, she responsibility of information literacy not argues, misrepresents information literacy only to study the means by which students as “unproblematic, atheoretical, and interpret information, but also to shape that apolitical” (p. 47). individual system of interpretation into a critical consciousness. Budd (2001) writes that “[t]he purpose of examining ideology is the growth of The project detailed in this paper can be knowledge, including ethical knowledge” situated in literature that cautions the (p. 498). He continues, “…ideological practicing librarian against perpetuating the discourse asserts, in some ways, the truth oppressive dominant ideologies that are and good of a particular idea, policy, or often espoused by higher education.1 In his vision of the future” (p. 515). The more we discussion of ideology in discursive study ideology, the more we reveal the ways practice, Budd (2001) defines ideology as it both consciously and subconsciously “being grounded in efforts at domination— shapes how we think and feel about the ascendance of some ideas over information. In imposing truth and morality others” (p. 498). Olson and Fox (2010) on a “particular idea” ideology determines explore ideology as a “conceptual that idea’s value by how effective (often in construct” in LIS practice through the lens economic or mechanistic terms) its output of philosopher Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, might be (Budd, p. 515). In the classroom, who writes about the roles that intellectuals this neoliberal focus on results excludes the (and, and Olson and Fox argue, librarians) affective and political dimensions of play in “producing official explanations that information, and constructs a false sense of make up state ideology” (p. 304). Spivak reality for students. Being critically self- encourages “custodians of culture” to work reflective about one’s personal ideology and against perpetuating the status quo by being the larger dominant ideologies that inform aware of the role that they play in the structures of research and knowing in the formation of ideology and making efforts to information literacy classroom allows disrupt it (p. 304). students to see through that false sense of reality and construct a more nuanced and Bales and Engle (2011) concur, asserting critical understanding of how information is [THOUGHTS ON THE FRAMEWORK] 147 Published by PDXScholar, 2015 Communications in Information Literacy, Vol. 9, Iss. 2 [2015], Art. 9 Critten, Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection Communications in Information Literacy 9(2), 2015 created and to what ends it is used. this section of LIBR 1101 has to adhere to Moreover, when students are conscious of the course’s shared learning outcomes, it the roles they play as makers of meaning in has evolved over the years into a section