Political consciousness

The process of praxis commences with a sense of political awareness beyond an understanding of individual needs and struggles. In the workplace the distinction can be made between individual awareness of others' rights and an understanding of collective positioning and solidarity; praxis is the actions undertaken towards attaining better conditions for all. Praxis has been discussed as the pragmatic actions that create the circumstances from which we can challenge hegemonic ideas and also recognise them as not being in collective interests. What is clear on reviewing the list of geographical radicals listed at the start of this chapter is that the institutions reflected by geography's radical geographers remain unreconstructed; “meritocracy” remains unchallenged, despite the statistical evidence against this belief system. The very politics of the work of challenging institutional racism, misogyny, violences and exclusion is not necessarily addressed by those who are the most radical in publications and rhetoric.