The Praxis of Critical Theorizing: Relevance, Resistance, and Doing Justice
Thomas Teo, York University, Toronto

Distinguishing theorizing as an activity from theory and articulating the relationship between theorizing and interpreting, it is suggested that the praxis of theorizing begins with experiencing or observing a problem. Critical theorizing accounts for the cultural-historical and socio-political dimensions of a problem from below, temporality, intellectual or material changes as possibilities to transcend the status quo, reflexivity and resistance with its implications and consequences. As a concrete starting point, it is suggested that theorizing begins with concepts, which are used for critiquing, reconstructing and creating realities, doing justice to problems. Using examples from the discipline of psychology and psychosocial life, the praxis of theorizing is demonstrated. Finally, it is argued that theorizing is not just an individual but a collective and relational praxis.

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Thomas Teo,
Thomas Teo is a professor of psychology in the Historical, Theoretical, and Critical Studies of Psychology Program at York University, Toronto, Canada. He has been active in the advancement of theoretical, critical, and historical psychology throughout his professional career. His research has been meta-psychological to provide a more reflexive understanding of the foundations, trajectories, and possibilities of human subjectivity. He was born in in London, England and earned his Mag. rer. nat. and Dr. phil. in psychology from the University of Vienna in Austria. From 1992 to 1995 he worked as a post-doc and research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education in Berlin, Germany. He started his professional track at York University in Canada in 1996. He is co- editor of the Review of General Psychology (Sage), editor of the Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology, and co-editor of the Palgrave Studies in Indigenous Psychology. He is former president of the International Society for Theoretical Psychology, of the American Psychological Association’s Society of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology (Division 24), and former chair of the History and Philosophy of Psychology Section of the Canadian Psychological Association. He is Fellow of CPA and APA. He has research record with more than 300 academic publications, refereed, and invited presentations. His research program contributes to the psychological humanities.