Practice what you teach : an exploration of the importance of critical reflection in the implementation of theory-based social justice education

In an effort to match the structure of this paper to its content, a commitment of linking theory and practice, I use a framework that is a hybrid of theories rooted in practice. Frire's (1970) theory of liberation through social justice education, Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of cultural, economic and symbolic capital, Bhabha’s (1994) and Gutiérrez’s (2008) work around hybridization and Third Space, and my own understanding of critical reflection each contribute to my attempt to address the following questions: What does it mean to link theory and practice in social justice education? What do models from research tell us about how to link theory and practice? What implications does this research have for educators and students of privilege?

In order to address these questions I 1. Discuss the theory as I have to come to understand it over the last three years 2. Analyze instances of teachers' attempts to merge theory and practice,and 3. Develop the curriculum for a professional development opportunity, putting into practice the theories I develop over the course of this paper.