Dialogic & Critical Pedagogies: An Interview with Ira Shor

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dhado

In 2016, the Main Editors of Dialogic Pedagogy Journal invited contributions on dialogic pedagogy, and educator Ira Shor responded with an in-depth interview. The interview centers on six themes: Social Justice, Dialogism, Democratic Higher Education, Critical Literacy versus Traditional Literacy, Paulo Freire and Critical Pedagogy, and Language and Thought. The text also frames Shor’s approach through tensions and complementary ideas between critical pedagogy and dialogic pedagogy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Interview Focus

Social Justice

Dialogism

Democratic Higher Education

Critical Literacy versus Traditional Literacy

Paulo Freire and Critical Pedagogy

Language and Thought

ISSN: 2325-3290 (online) Dialogic & Critical Pedagogies: An Interview with Ira Shor Ira Shor College of Staten Island, City University of New York, USA Ana Marjanovic-Shane Chestnut Hill College, USA Eugene Matusov University of Delaware, USA James Cresswell Ambrose University, Canada Abstract In 2016, the Main Editors of Dialogic Pedagogy Journal issued a call for papers and contributions to a wide range of dialogic pedagogy scholars and practitioners. One of the scholars who responded to our call is famous American educator Ira Shor, a professor at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Shor has been influenced by Paulo Freire with whom he published, among other books, “A Pedagogy for Liberation”(1986), the very first “talking book” Freire did with a collaborator. His work in education is about empowering and liberating practice, which is why it has become a central feature of critical pedagogy. Shor’s work has touched on themes that resonate with Dialogic Pedagogy (DP). He emphasises the importance of students becoming empowered by ensuring that their experiences are brought to bear. We were excited when Shor responded to our call for papers with an interesting proposal: an interview that could be published in DPJ, and we enthusiastically accepted his offer. The DPJ Main Editors contacted the DPJ community members and asked them to submit questions for Ira. The result is an exciting in-depth interview with him that revolved around six topics: (1) Social Justice; (2) Dialogism; (3) Democratic Higher Education; (4) Critical Literacy versus Traditional Literacy; (5) Paulo Freire and Critical Pedagogy; and (6) Language and Thought. Following the interview, we reflect on complimentary themes and tensions that emerge between Shor’s approach to critical pedagogy and DP. Ira Shor is a professor at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, where he teaches composition and rhetoric. He is also doctoral faculty in the Ph. D. Program in English and in the Ph. D. in Urban Education , at The Graduate Center, CUNY. Shor grew up in the working-class area in the South Bronx of New York City. According to Shor, coming from a working-class area had a powerful influence on his thinking, politics and feelings. In collaboration with Paulo Freire, he has been one of the leading exponents of critical pedagogy. Together they co-wrote “A Pedagogy for Liberation.” Eugene Matusov is a Professor of Education at the University of Delaware. He studied developmental psychology with Soviet researchers working in the Vygotskian paradigm and worked as a schoolteacher before immigrating to the United States. He uses sociocultural and Bakhtinian dialogic approaches to education. His recent books are: Matusov, E. & Brobst, J. (2013) . Radical experiment in dialogic pedagogy Dialogic Pedagogy: An International Online Journal | [http://dpj.pitt.edu](http://dpj.pitt.edu) [DOI: 10.5195/dpj.2017](DOI: 10.5195/dpj.2017) .208 | Vol. 5 (2017) S1 Dialogic & Critical Pedagogies: An Interview with Ira Shor Ira Shor, Eugene Matusov, Ana Marjanovic-Shane, James Cresswell in higher education and its Centauric failure: Chronotopic analysis and Matusov, E. (2009) . Journey into dialogic pedagogy. Ana Marjanovic-Shane is an Associate Professor of Education at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. She studies meaning making in education and play, dialogic educational relationships and events, dialogic teacher orientation, and the role of imagination , drama, play and critical dialogue in education. She uses sociocultural and Bakhtinian dialogic orientation in her studies. Her articles were published by "Mind, Culture, Activity Journal", "Learning, Culture and Social Interaction", and as book chapters in books on play and education. Her most recent publication is: Marjanovic-Shane, A. (2016) . "Spoilsport" in Drama in Education vs. Dialogic Pedagogy. Dialogic Pedagogy: An International Online Jour

FAQs

What prompted the interview with Ira Shor?

In 2016, the Main Editors of Dialogic Pedagogy Journal issued a call for papers and contributions on dialogic pedagogy. Ira Shor responded with a proposal for an interview to be published in DPJ.

Which six topics organize the interview?

The interview revolves around Social Justice, Dialogism, Democratic Higher Education, Critical Literacy versus Traditional Literacy, Paulo Freire and Critical Pedagogy, and Language and Thought.

How does Shor’s work connect to dialogic pedagogy?

The text links Shor’s emphasis on critical literacy through dialogic inquiry and students’ experiences to Dialogic Pedagogy’s critique of educational practices that alienate learners.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dhado