Transcript Ostracism incident theory part 1

Like Walking in the Tight-Rope
LIKE WALKING IN THE TIGHT-ROPE:
Critical Discourses on Conflict and
Responsibility
Angela Bermudez
Bob Selman
H-370 / Spring
The Ostracism Incident
Sue was a popular girl when she began 7th
grade, but she ended up being ostracized by
her former friends. The conflict started with
a typical incident between friends, around a
note that Sue passed to Rhonda talking
about Jill a common friend and her
boyfriend. For many reasons, it turned into
a year-long and hurtful conflict that made
Sue seriously think of suicide.
Dawn Schrader’s Relational
Aggression Circle?
Sue, the victim
 Rhonda, the…..
 Patty, the….
 Jill. The…..
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The teacher
What One Theory Can Do and Can’t
Do
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Understand the different ways these girls
had of understanding of conflict and
responsibility.
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Understand the use of critical thinking in
the social domain and the ‘political
culture’ it creates.
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Theory 1: a cognitive-developmental
framework.
Cognitive-Developmental Analysis
Capture the complexity of the patterns of
thought used to understand and argue
about conflict and responsibility
More complex patterns of thought = better
tools for understanding and arguing.
How, if at all, are different levels of
cognitive complexity evident in R & P critical
thinking about self and others?
What is Critical Thinking?
Well established tradition of research in philosophy &
psychology: (Paul, Ennis, Siegel, Lipman, Langer
Perkins, Tishman, Ritchards)

Self-corrective method: reflect on your own thinking,
monitor its quality and efficacy, detect and solve
flaws (coherence, validity, etc.) on arguments,
problem-solving and decision making.

Supposed to be object-neutral.
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Addresses ethical issues involved in thinking critically,
less explored how critical thinking skills apply to
understanding and explaining social and ethical
issues.
What is Critical Thinking?
Research on the development of Social Awareness
(Kohlberg, Selman, Gilligan)
Interpersonal and inter-group conflict
 Different perspectives in controversial issues
 Moral questions about justice & abandonment
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Patterns of thought involved in Critical Theories of
Society/History
“Structure” and “dynamic” in marxist historiography
 Habermas: “critical & hermeneutical interests in S.C”
“communicative action”.
 Freire:
“reflective consciousness”
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