Consciousness Raising

Conceptual Overview and Discussion

Oppressions and our struggles for social justice give rise to consciousness raising. Consciousness raising is a group process whereby sharing one's [Page 214]experience inspires group members to see their stories as part of a larger societal problem. The awareness process is one of discovery and empowerment. Working from their own personal lived experience, people in the group see beyond an individualistic approach to their issues to understand how their lives are connected through social practices. These social practices are critical in that they continually create individuals' experiences of oppression. Making these analytical connections to the political nature of social injustice and oppression is formative in creating social change.

Consciousness raising is both a concept and a practice with roots most clearly embedded within the feminisms of the 1960s. Consciousness raising has also been central to liberation education espoused by Paulo Freire. Within feminisms, consciousness raising is intimately linked to the theoretical slogan that the “personal is political.” What this means is that what one person experiences is a reflection of the social structural order.

The reason that consciousness raising is such a powerful tool against oppressive dynamics is that it decenters the authority of internalized oppression. Once people gain perspective on how they are both a participant in and a resister to their own oppression, they can connect choice or the lack of choice to their experiences. In such a process of exposing and analyzing their oppression, people are able to gain alternative perspectives. It becomes possible to imagine ulterior patterns and other forms for their life. When these insights are organized and mobilized to create social justice in the public sphere, they have a resonance among the populace that has tremendous political power.

Consciousness raising in the context of case studies has several facets that are connected to the type of case study: intrinsic, instrumental, or multiple case study. Intrinsic case studies, as the name implies, are explored for their own merit. Instrumental case studies are examined in the service of an ulterior motive for their potential to enhance understanding of an issue or phenomenon. The case per se is less emphasized than the theoretical insight it might afford. Several cases selected to accomplish such instrumental goals constitute the multiple case study approach.

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