Critical literacy means analyzing the historical causes of one’s own circumstances.

Evidence

The second key theme is the development of “reading the world” which is dialectically related to “reading the word.” Freire suggests that student-teachers should be encouraged to develop a critical analysis of their historical and contemporary experiences. Freire’s emphasis in “reading the world” involves stimulating critical learning approaches that foster students’ interest, curiosity, and appreciation of the contextual antecedent causes of their personal circumstances in the world as well as those of others. — James D. Kirylo (ed.), Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 202

Categorization

• DEFINE: Specifies what ‘reading the world’ concretely means: tracing the contextual antecedent causes of personal and others’ circumstances.
• DEEPTHINKING: The phrase says civic suffering is legible through the antecedent causes of one’s own circumstances, a frame connecting biography, history, and critique.
• XREF: connects to: The object of critical intellectual work is the present conjuncture as genealogy — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2: Identity…, 1196; Critical self-awareness begins by inventorying the historical traces that have formed the self. — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 96

Broader Connections

• The object of critical intellectual work is the present conjuncture as genealogy #expands (0.80) — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 1196
• Critical self-awareness begins by inventorying the historical traces that have formed the self. #corroborates (0.75) — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 96