Critical Theory

Critical theory developed from various ideas emerging from the Frankfurt School of Critical Social Theory in the late 1930s. It is part of a wider intellectual tradition that critically engages with Marxist concepts and other philosophical traditions. It is grounded in a vision of a democratic society in which people live together in ways that are generous, compassionate, and socially just. It is considered a sociopolitical theory because it is concerned with issues of power and oppression. In particular, critical theory is interested in how economies, race, social class, sexuality and gender, abilities, age, education, religion, and other institutions interact to [Page 355]construct a social system. Critical theory is relevant to the field of early childhood education because it assumes that education is a social ...