1. Critical Perspectives Task
M. Smith - SAETA Refresher Course 2017

2. A task in which students consider one or more texts (or a selection of texts in the case of poetry) from two critical perspectives.

3. This task is based on the concept that writers write and readers read with an ideology that informs the creation of texts and the reading of texts.

4. Ideology
Ideology "A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.”
“The set of beliefs characteristic of a social group or individual.”
Having students understand that concept, unpacking some ideologies, and applying them mindfully is empowering!

5. Gender/Feminist Perspective
“Traditional gender ideologies emphasise the value of distinctive roles for women and men, while a feminist ideology may challenge these and the power indifference perceived in them. Gender ideology also refers to societal beliefs that legitimate gender inequality.”

6. Postcolonial Perspective
“Postcolonialism
Analyses, explains, and responds to the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism.
Human consequences of external control and economic exploitation of native people and their lands.
Examines the effects of colonial rule on the cultural aspects of the colony, its treatment of women, language, literature, and humanity
Raises ideas of negation and symbolic exclusion.”

7. There are MANY perspectives
Moral or Ethical
Psychological
Historical (New Historical)
Marxist
Reader Response
Deconstructionist
Philosophical
Pacifist
Race
Ecological
Advocacy
Etc.

8. Empowering Self awareness Choice – own interests Explore own ideas
To see how others might see the world
To perhaps validate or challenge their own views
Explore how we might be manipulated or influenced!
A clear definition of critical perspectives is on page 6 of the subject outline.
Examples of approaches to the task are provided on page 13.

9. “Students consider factors that affect different readers’ interpretations of a text. They develop an understanding that a text may be interpreted from a range of critical perspectives and that each may emphasise different textual features. Students become familiar with a number of critical perspectives and develop an understanding that the position adopted in a critical perspective reflects a particular interpretation of a text, shaped by an understanding of how the text is seen to represent society and culture. By exploring a range of critical interpretations students understand that a single text may be interpreted in a number of different ways.”

10. A few things to understand…
Level of expectation: students are not experts.
They are expected to have a working understanding of the concept of approaching texts from different perspectives, and sound grasp of at least a couple of the “lenses” through which texts may be approached.

11. A scaffold can support this...
Psychological criticism
To read a text to explore the psychology of the author and characters in the text ask the following types of questions:
What psychological conflicts influence the characters or the plot?
Why do characters act the way they do? What are the fears or desires of the characters or author?
How is the range of human emotions presented in the text?
What moral and ethical choices do the characters make?
SACE Stage 1 Exemplar Task Sheet

12. This task is NOT isolated from the study of texts
It is referenced across the subject outline.
Students’ work produce should not be a description/summary/record of two perspectives.
APPLYING IT TO A TEXT is fundamental.

13. LEARNING REQUIREMENTS
In this subject, students are expected to:
1. understand the relationship between author, text, and context
2. analyse how ideas, perspectives, and values are represented in texts and how they are received by audiences
3. analyse and compare texts, through the identification of the structural, conventional, and language and stylistic features used by authors
4. use evidence to develop, support, and justify a critical interpretation of a text
5. develop analytical responses to texts by considering other interpretations
6. create oral, written, and/or multimodal texts that experiment with stylistic features by using and adapting literary conventions
7. express ideas in a range of modes to create texts that engage the reader, viewer, or listener.

14. Responding to Texts
“Through their study of literary texts, students understand how readers are influenced to respond to their own and others’ cultural experiences, and how the expectations of audiences shape perceptions of texts and their significance. Students make comparisons between texts in different literary forms and mediums and from different traditions. Students observe ways in which Australian authors represent culture, place, and identity as well as ways in which perspectives in texts from other times and cultures may be read and interpreted by a contemporary Australian audience. Students observe how interpretations of texts may vary over time, and develop an understanding of literary texts in their historical and cultural contexts.”

15. Study of Three Texts
“This study focuses on the role of the author in creating a text and the part played by the reader in making meaning of the text. The study is designed to address the ideas, values, and emotions explored in the texts. It entails a focus on the role of language techniques and stylistic features in achieving a variety of possible purposes. In this study, students develop an understanding of the ways in which different critical perspectives can shape interpretations of texts.”

16. Study of Poetry
“This study is designed to explore and evaluate ways in which poets influence readers to respond to their own and others’ cultural experiences, and how ideas, perspectives, and values are conveyed through a range of language techniques and stylistic features. Students become familiar with ways in which specific poetic elements and forms shape meaning and influence responses, and develop an awareness of how various poetic conventions have been employed within and across historical and cultural contexts.”

17. Comparative Study
Work from similar or different cultural perspectives.
An interpretation from a particular critical perspective.

18. Assessment Design Criteria
Knowledge and Understanding
KU1 Knowledge and understanding of ways in which ideas, perspectives, and values are represented in texts.
KU2 Knowledge and understanding of ways in which authors use stylistic features to communicate ideas.
KU3 Knowledge and understanding of the stylistic features and conventions of different text types.
Analysis
An1 Analysis of ways in which texts represent ideas, perspectives, and values.
An2 Analysis and evaluation of ways in which stylistic features are used to influence the interpretation of texts.
An3 Analysis of similarities and differences between texts in comparative tasks.
An4 Analysis of ways in which different critical perspectives inform interpretation.

19. Tips
Avoid one of the perspectives being a simplistic ‘reader response’ approach.
Understand their emotional relationship to the text and how this shapes their interpretation.
Larger Questions
What is omitted or incomplete and how does the text lead us to a particular interpretation?
What qualities did the characters display that you admired or condemned and how did the author convey these?
How did the text offer a new insight to you? What was it about its construction that opened this up?
What was your response to the message or idea of the work? Did it align with or differ from your own ideology or values?

20. Tips
There is no definitive list of perspectives provided as this is limiting and narrow.
Allow students, where possible, whether text choice or perspective choice to follow their interests.
Students are not required to compare the perspectives… rather provide two different readings.

21. What am I doing? Task design is flexible.
Essay, paragraph, question and answer, oral etc.
A task that sits alongside the shared texts, e.g. a short story/film, fairy-tale, song etc… as a context for teaching the concept and students may write on this to demonstrate their understanding.
Student choice.

22. Resources
Teacher Tim Nance’s videos – Intro to critical perspectives, historical, deconstruction, psychological etc…
Critical Encounters in Secondary English - Deborah Appleman
Doing Literary Criticism - Tim Gillespie
Literary Theory, the basics - Hans Bertens