| This dissertation presents a theory of education established from man's and woman's perspectives. It is informed by the critical theory of Jurgen Habermas and the writings of feminists Mary O'Brien, Nancy Hartsock, and Audre Lorde, among others. Habermas' reconstructed view of historical materialism was inspired by the Frankfurt School's mission to rescue the philosophical basis of Marxism. O'Brien, Hartsock, and Lorde go beyond this to raise issues about sexuality and reproduction which have yet to receive adequate attention from nonfeminist scholars.;Implicit in male and female voices in critical theory there is a liberation-oriented theory of education. This "pedagogy of empowerment," characteristic of the practice of feminist education, is committed to the development of critical consciousness and to the abolition of expressions of sexism, racism, and classism from society. Chapter Five uses "quilt-making" as a metaphor for this pedagogy. For the individual, the "quilt" to be made is a whole and integrated person who understands her or his personal development process. For society, the "quilt" suggests an integrated group acting and reflecting together about its life conditions. Connectedness in practice--action, and reflection mediated by communication--empower by establishing the link among "pieces," and by forming a patterned social fabric, the community, which legitimizes each person and celebrates unity in diversity.;Theories of education are typically derived from comprehensive religious, political, and philosophical systems of ideas. They involve assumptions about knowledge, human nature, society, and value. Hence, after the study is outlined in Chapter One, Chapter Two focuses on Habermas' theory of cognitive interests of knowledge, and on the feminist's concept of the erotic as a source of knowledge. Chapter Three addresses Habermas' and Carol Gilligan's theories of moral consciousness development. Chapter Four discusses Habermas and the feminists' view on the evolution of society and the connection between capitalism and patriarchy. |
