Bibliography: leaves 81-89.Surely education today must be conceived as a mode of opening the world to critical judgement by the young and to their imaginative projections and, in time, to their transformative actions- Maxine Greene (1995, p. 56). Clues to the problem out of which the question for this thesis arises can be found in the above quote from Maxine Greene. Firstly, the problem emerges from the instability of our rapidly changing society. These changes are so complex that it would be impossible to attempt a comprehensive documentation of them here. I will however, argue that in South Africa we are experiencing immense local changes and global transformations. Globalisation and the proliferation of information and communications have had a profound effect on the political, social, economic and cultural arenas of our society. These changes have repercussions on the lives of most individuals who often find the rate of change quite overwhelming. Attempting to negotiate their way through these perplexities, many individuals simply contract into the "safety and the everydayness" of their own worlds. Unable to find their way through the nettles of uncertainty and change, many individuals feel trapped by the problems of contemporary society without sufficiently developed critical judgement, vision or imagination to tree themselves. As Greene points out, 'There is a withdrawal, a widespread speechlessness, a silence where there might be - where there ought to be - an impassioned dialogue' (1988, p. 7). Part of the problem also lies within the domain of education. It is up to education to provide the openings in which Greene's 'impassioned dialogue' can not only be encouraged but also take place. In order for this to happen, however, we need to educate with freedom in mind. By this I mean that education has to be conceived of as 'a mode of opening the world to critical judgement by the young and to their imaginative projections' . Should education not be concerned with developing critical, reflective and imaginative youngsters, then we might remain content with what is "given" from the outside and passive under the pressures of a fragmented existence. Unable to reflect critically on the world around us and to perceive imaginatively of 4 alternatives and possibilities, we will probably be incapable of 'tran::.formative action路. In a country like South Africa, developing youngsters with the courage and the ability to initiate change, should be a major educational goal. Greene writes that, 'An inability to conceive of a better order of things can give rise to a resignation that paralyzes and prevents people from acting to bring about change' ( 1995, p. 19). To 'conceive of a better order of things ' means being able to imagine and 'to call for imaginative capacity is to work for the ability to look at things as if they could be otherwise' (ibid) . Greene proposes the notion that the arts, and more specifically a form of aesthetic education incorporated into the curriculum at all levels. might be the best possible means for encouraging the development of imaginative youngsters. It is with this in mind that the question for this thesis arises: Are Maxine Greene's arguments on aesthetic literacy and the imagination pertinent to contemporary developments in South African education? In order to highlight the problem from which the question emerges, I will begin by providing a global picture of our changing society and what appear to be some of the problems consequent on these transformations. I will briefly discuss the emergence of postmodern thought and the unease of the climate accompanying it. I will also examine the effects that the proliferation of information and communications technology has on our society, looking particularly at the problem of technicist thinking and unreflective consumerism resulting in what has been referred to as a ' culture of contentment' (Galbraith, 1993)
