Transformation through the Brigades

Teaching critical thinking skills beyond a formulaic, positivist set of questions is a central challenge in radical political economy and critical geography. Grounded in historical consciousness and a quest for human emancipation, critical thinking emerges as part of praxis, the reflective combination of theory and practice. Drawing on Gramsci and Freire, this paper presents the example of the Bucknell Brigades in which students learn about community based initiatives and work with an NGO grounded in community defined projects. The Brigades push the boundaries of most service-learning based in most social service agencies by offering a glimpse of historical consciousness, praxis, critical thinking, all with an emancipatory perspective.