Deconstructing Global Markets Through Critical Performative Experiences in Puerto Rico

Abstract Critical Performative Pedagogies, the idea that “The nature of drama as a once removed creative experience turns non‐critical implicit classroom identity formation into explicit identity performance as it asks participants to actively reflect upon how identity is created and engaged within fictional social interactions.” (Weltsek and Medina, 2007) is used to explore English language learning as a political act. Using critical ethnographic research conducted with and on two different groups of students in Puerto Rico, one elementary and one University, as their launching point Gustave Weltsek and Carmen Lillian Medina struggle with the ways in which personal, community and institutionalized literacy education is negotiated within colonial spaces. IN this Water Cooler chat they explain that “When students see themselves as actively involved in the creation/performance of any communicative event, especially one situated as ‘educational’, aware of how they construct their actions the opportunity exists for them to take a more conscious ownership of their education. When applied to literacy learning ‘literacy’ becomes the way multiple sign systems are used to outwardly perform emergent identities. Drama then become an ideal way to observe and articulate how personal, community and institutional literacies are negotiated and created within the performance of self. It is this observation and articulation which ultimately empowers and drives student learning.”