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rdiffender,

I like the distinction you're making between looking to 'understand our place' and, I'd add, do our work 'with' rather than just 'in' the world.  You also note that 'taking action must always take into account dialogue,' and I'd like to hear more about how you see this.  I'm thinking that dialogue in Freirian terms has to do with how we'd get to that 'with,' and when I think about this specifically in relation to teaching, it seems to me that one way is in the lengthy process Freire describes as "conscientizacion" in which teachers work with 'insiders' to locate cultural themes that will crack open analysis and thus critical literacy.  What's occurring to me in relation to your framing of the 'with' is that this is an ongoing process, rather than that more singular process to get to culture circles...  Your thoughts?