• Postmodernism and Feminism
• Critical Social Justice and Fit with Criminal Justice

---

---

On Thursday, August 16, 2001, Agnes Simpson wrote:

jeanne, 'does it make sense to keep postmoderism and feminism separate but connected with an "and," or would it be better to come up with a new term that joins them together in some way ?

On Thursday, August 16, 2001, jeanne responded:

Hi, Agnes. I cc'd this to Pat and Susan because I write with them, and we try to keep each other in the loop.

I think that it makes sense to keep postmodernism and feminism separate mostly because we've developed too much jargon in which everyone combines something with something and makes up a new something. For those who really need the knowledge, that's frustrating, and I think unnecessary. I am most concerned that young people, and community people who want a better understanding of the social issues and approaches out there can find theory and praxis set out in plain English. I'm following a couple of theory lists right now that could lose me to their jargon. And I'm experienced at this.

Now if you're asking whether postmodernism and feminism share concerns and issues, then yes, they do. But after all this time of searching for language which was intelligible to the scholarly community, I find that I'm happiest just talking of peace and social justice and structural violence. Students grasp these issues so thoroughly they can trace them through a variety of theories and approaches.

I still remember when I called Habermas postmodern. Craig Calhoun gently corrected me, but I've finally come to the conclusion that much of what he does is postmodern, and that, whether he knows it or not. I know there must be a point to tearing apart each of these theories in search of "truth" but I don't believe there is "a truth." I'd rather think more deeply about the social problems we face and listen in good faith to all the theories.

This is a lot to bite off at once. But maybe a file on children's approaches to social justice might explain what I mean. I didn't put up all the references yet -- you'll pretty much recognize them -- but taking childhood narratives written in adulthood by two very different people, I was able to explain some of what I believe about children and social justice. It went up as a journal entry because I have little time right now. But that will permit all of us to answer and reference some of what I tried to broach. We call this a process text - one in which we explore theory and praxis together and don't "own" any of it individually. I guess I'd like to see postmodernism and feminism treated in this kind of open, cross-discipline way.

Does that help? Nice to hear from you. love and peace, jeanne

---

---

On Thursday, August 16, Agnes Simpson wrote:

"If you would change something within the criminal justice apparatus so that the system was more consistent with critical social justice priniciples what would it be ? and why?"

On Thursday, August 16, jeanne responded:

Am I answering someone's exam questions here?

First of all, define critical social justice. Critical theory looks at what isn't working and considers ways to make it better. Apologetic theory looks at what's good and does an apology for the status quo. There are radicals on both ends of this continuum.

In the interest of making the criminal justice system fit better with critical social justice principles I would want to change the tendency we have towards "knowingness," and look closely at the definitions we socially construct for crime. Look at the confusion of adults in calling a child's attempt to right injustice "theft," when in fact she had hit upon an interesting approach to distributive justice. Robin Hood and Social Justice and Brown Buffalo and Social Justice.

I would want to see the criminal justice field examine in good faith retribution, revenge , and rehabilitation. I would look to Fromm, the critical theorists, habermas, and certainly Foucault for starters.

Does that help? And you realize that if this were an exam for me I would expect you to show that you had understood these sources in depth, whether you agreed with my conclusions or not. love and peace, jeanne

On Friday, August 17, 2001, Susan wrote:

good question, jeanne. i wondered if it was an exam question or not.

susan

And on Friday, August 17, jeanne responded:

I figured it was an exam question, but I think we have to trust our students to know that we mean to educate them, that we respect them, and that we fully assume that they will do their own research based on our guidance. Students need a lot of guidance in writing and critical thinking. It should be Ok for them to ask for that guidance. Of course, I'd like to see them acknowledge a request for help up front, but we do have a system of education that has disrespected students' requests for help. I figure that by uploading such requests and by our answering teaching essays on the site we might begin to transform discourse on knowledge as interdependent. At least I hope so.

love and peace, jeanne

---

---