ABSTRACT
Theories that carry the attribute ‘critical’ abound. Whether a theory is critical or not is often hotly debated. Howcroft and Trauth (2005, p. 2) list the Frankfurt school of critical theory, actor-network theory, Marxism, feminist theory and the work of Bourdieu, Dooyeweerd, Foucault and Heidegger as possible candidates. Fournier and Grey (2000, p. 16) complement this list by naming ‘neoMarxism (labour process theory, Frankfurt School of Critical Theory, Gramscian “hegemony theory”), post-structuralism, deconstructionism, literary criticism, feminism, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, environmentalism’. More recent theoretical developments such as postcolonialism and queer theory also find a place under the umbrella of critical theory. This list cannot claim to be exhaustive but it can be quite exhausting. There are few, if any, individuals who can claim to be familiar with all of these streams of critical theory.
