Sociology
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about something before making a judgment on what to believe. It involves thinking reflectively, being able to tell the relevance and essential ideas, being able to deduce the logical connection of ideas, among others. Critical thinking is not accumulating information or ideas. It is the ability to understand consequences from ideas, use of the information to solve a problem, and knowing the right sources of information to keep one informed. Critical theory, on the other hand, is the application of social science and humanities to reflectively critique and assess the society and culture to challenge the power structure. According to Max Hokeihmer, a theory is referred to as critical if it attempts to liberate people from a form of enslavement. Thus the theory requires those who are enslaved to receive some enlightenment or understanding to free themselves. According to Karl Max, ideology is the main obstacle to independence or liberation.
Knowledge construction is the ability to come up with a piece of well-arranged information to explain a particular ideology or give a report on something. It involves understanding a question or a subject matter, searching the relevant material for information, and arranging the information in a way they make sense and are informative. It also involves connecting new knowledge with the already existing knowledge or information to come up with a new meaning. To think critically about an opinion means to evaluate or analyze the authenticity of the idea before believing in it or considering it as accurate. Does it involve asking questions such as how do we come to this conclusion? For example, does it only apply to this specific instance, or is it true in other cases? Such questions help one think critically about an idea and work like a sieve to separate authentic information and hearsays. It helps to avoid being trapped by every information to help avoid fallacies.
Racial and ethnicity have been issues of concern in America since time immemorial. While some people look at the two terms as one, they are two different terms with a different meaning. The word race refers to distinct physical characteristics like the black and the white, while ethnicity is used to describe different cultures or shared beliefs. The concept of critical thinking is vital in understanding the concept of racism and ethnicity, which has plagued the people of the United States for a long time. Racial and ethnic discrimination and prejudice have been a common thing in the United States to date. The concepts of critical thinking will allow for reflective thinking about the stereotypes believed about races. It is these kinds of stereotypes like blacks are violent that lead to racial discrimination. When one thinks critically, they will analyze the statement to determine its authenticity before they hate on blacks without solid proof. In the U.S, discrimination and racial prejudice are generational. The blacks and white discriminate against each other just because they found their fathers and the ancestors doing so, and as a result, they believed they are not equal to either the whites or the blacks. Likewise, most of the discrimination along ethnic lines has no basis. A particular ethnic group will hate on another just because they think their believes and practices are superior to the other. It requires informed and logical thinking to get liberated from such thinking, especially in this era of knowledge that we are living. To think logically and evaluate the information believed about different races and ethnic groups, the concepts of critical thinking are vital.