Children from middle class families have more opportunities than those from working class families. 4. Everyone in Australia can get a job if they want one. 5. Every child needs a family. 6.

Every human life is equally valuable. Note that the language suggests ‘this is how things are’, rather than this is how I would like things to be’, although each of the above Statements reflects a value position, e. G.

Equality, education, participation, work ethic, family relationships, sanctity of life, etc. 5 I believe that injustice exists in our society. Live that social change can come about through changing consciousness (links to my value about self- awareness).

I believe that closeness between people comes about through play and being open about our vulnerabilities. Assumptions are presuppositions that we take for granted that are the basis or how we act in the world?they can be about people we know, about cultures, about the way human beings behave, about the nature of reality, about knowledge. They are the unstated, taken for granted ideas that we carry around with us unconsciously.They are usually based on our values and beliefs about the world. Thus, while we hold a value or belief, we make assumptions that our unexamined values and beliefs are true and valid. Thus: unexamined values + unexamined beliefs assumptions We act on the basis of assumptions all the time?without assumptions we would not be able to function effectively in the world.

However, processes of radical collections can help reveal what assumptions we might be making, what we might be taking for granted that is not based on verifiable information.People are generally more easily able to name their values than the assumptions underlying their beliefs. It is also quite difficult to identify the extent to which assumptions are cultural and historic, as they appear to have the appearance booth’s is just how the world is’. Questioning our assumptions can often mean disorientation, discomfort, a ‘lost innocence’. The key question to ask in determining what assumptions you may hold is: what do I take for granted? Some assumptions (unexamined values and beliefs) that might underlie the examples given above include: 1 .People from other countries who want to come to Australia are different from us; poverty is a bad thing; poverty means not having enough money; all people want to live in a rich country like ours 2. All Western societies are democracies; democracy is the same as freedom; voting for politicians means democracy; everyone in a democracy is equal; democracy is the opposite of communism 3. The people from the middle class are more educated than working class people; education is essential if you want to get on in society; educated people are better off than people without an education; middle class parents have more time for their children .

. Everybody should have a job; people without jobs aren’t trying hard enough; people without jobs aren’t normal; people without jobs are costing the taxpayers money; all people should be treated the same . 5. Families are the normal way for people to raise children; families have a mother and a father and kids; families are private; normal families are loving and supportive; children learn how to get on with others in families 6 I assume that action is important as a way to change social structures and unconsciousness; that people can think about their own actions; that people can change their perceptions.I assume that human beings want to be close to one another. Assume that democracy offers the fairest political process. Many people can find this process of questioning assumptions quite confronting and uncomfortable, as well as difficult to do.

It can feel like one’s very foundations are being undermined, which in a way they are. This discomfort is generally a sign that a ‘meaning perspective’ is being challenged and is ready for change. I would strongly suggest that it is worthwhile recovering to experience the satisfaction of greater selfsameness through perspective transformation.The final section of this paper outlines different strategies that can be used for assisting the process of critical self-reflection. Strategies to assist critical self-reflection (a) Critical friends Learning how to develop skills of critical self-reflection is not an easy process?it is built on questioning and enquiry. However, it is a process that is made even more difficult if it is done without support?in many ways reflection, while an inner process, is assisted through interaction with others, articulacy those with different perspectives from our own.

One effective strategy is the formation of ‘critical friend’ relationships between people who are willing and able to give and receive constructive feedback, especially questioning unaware assumptions. Effective relationships are most likely to be formed between people with different belief and value systems as well as different backgrounds as it is generally easier to identify assumptions held by another that differ from our own. Skills of giving feedback sensitively and asking open questions (such as those below) are also important in assisting critical reflection. ) Critically reflective questions Learning the skills of asking questions that elicit critically reflective responses is an important part of the development of critical friend partnerships. The following are examples of the types of questions that could be asked of someone entering a new situation (such as a new job or placement) to assist the process of critical reflection in relation to their goals: 1) What influenced you to choose the goals you have that you are taking into this situation? ) What aspects of your background experience and knowledge might be relevant in this choice? 3) What are the main values that underpin your goals? ) What underlying beliefs do you think you might be taking into your situation? 5) What assumptions do you think you might be making, I. E.

What might you be taking for granted about the place and the people? 6) What biases are you taking into this new situation? 7 7) What other perspectives might you be ignoring? ) What contradictions and paradoxes do you notice in the way you have articulated your goals? 9) Think of someone else you know who has different values to you?how might their goals differ from yours? (c) Steps in reflective practice The following series of steps and associated questions form part of a useful tagged process for developing the skills of critically reflecting on professional practice (adapted from Gibbs 1 988): 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Description: what happened? Personal experience: what was I thinking and feeling?Evaluation: what was good and bad about the experience? Analysis: what sense can I make from this experience? Confrontation: what values, beliefs and assumptions did I carry into this experience? Where did they come from? How do they differ from the values, beliefs and assumptions of others involved in the experience? How do they connect to wider social and political forces? What are the ethical implications f my actions? Reconstruction: what could have done differently? What will I do differently next time?In steps 1 3 the practitioner is engaging in technical reflection; by step 4 they have moved to practical reflection; and by the time they have reached steps 5 and 6 they are engaged in a genuine critical reflection on their practice. (d) Reflective journals Learning through reflection is an individual process. People can give advice and hints and tips, but it is really only possible to learn by having a go. A particular method Or strategy that works for one person may be a hindrance o another?the reflective journal is one strategy that many people find helpful.