Paulo Freire: The Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Brief Biography A long-time adult educator and native of Brazil, Freire worked to help the dispossessed (people who were denied land) peoples of urban and rural Brazil to find a voice. In 1964, following a military coup, his work was considered a threat to social order. Freire was arrested and exiled. It was during his time in prison that he began his first book, (Education as the Practice of Freedom ). He continued working with the poor while living in Chile, and later as a professor at Harvard's Center for Studies in Education and Development.

Power & Oppression In 1970, he published his first work in English, Pedagogy of the Oppressed Every human being is capable of looking critically at the world in a dialogue with others. Provided with proper tools, the individual can gradually perceive personal and social reality as well as the contradictions in it, become conscious of his or her own perception of that reality, and deal critically with it.

Oppressor/Oppressed: The Struggle for Humanization The struggle for HUMANIZATION, breaking the cycles of INJUSTICE, EXPLOITATON and OPPRESSION lies in the continuation of oppressor versus oppressed. In these roles, those who commit the injustice, the oppressors, also risk their own humanity, because the oppressor’s consciousness sees everything that surrounds him/her as an object of its domination.

Oppressor/Oppressed: The Struggle for Humanization These roles are so ingrained in society that in the "initial struggle for liberation," the oppressed frequently strive to imitate the oppressor. They see that role as the "ideal model of humanity.” To break the cycle, a revolution of ideas must take place, freedom can only occur when the oppressed "eject this image and replace it with independence and responsibility.” But how do the oppressed reach this realization?

The Solution Freire's answer: By confronting "reality critically… and acting upon that reality,” the oppressed can begin transformation, but this is only the first stage.

Freire’s Levels of Cosciousness Magical: Students blame their inequality on luck, fate, or god. Whatever causes the inequality seems to be out of students’ control, so they may resign themselves to doing nothing about it. 7eY 7eY

Freire’s Levels of Consciousness NAÏVE: Students may blame themselves, their culture, or their community for inequality Students may try to change themselves, assimilate to the dominant, middle class culture, or distance themselves from their community in response to experiencing inequality in the naïve stage g g

Freire’s Levels of Consciousness CRITICAL STAGE: Students look beyond cultural reasons for inequality and focus on structural and institutional explanations. A student with a critical level of consciousness looks towards changing the system as a response to experiencing inequality 8yI 8yI

Freedom from Oppression via Education Progressive educators help students to reach CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS. How? Critical thinking, dialogue, and helping students feel that THEY are part of the process to create change in their world through critical thought, reflection, and action.

Freedom of Oppression via Education PROBLEM POSING EDUCATION: Does not and cannot serve the interests of the oppressor. No oppressive order could permit the oppressed to begin to question: Why?” When there is no dialogue and problem solving in the classroom, it serves the oppressor by denying the learner an active role in the learning.

Freedom of Oppression via Education PROBLEM POSING EDUCATION: Dialogue cannot exist without humility. You cannot dialogue if you place yourself above another, seeing yourself as the owner of truth. Dialogue requires faith in humanity. "Faith is a requirement for dialogue. Founding itself upon love, humility and faith, dialogue becomes a relationship where mutual trust between the dialoguers IS the result"(p.71).

Final Thoughts "A teacher is no longer merely the one who teaches; but one who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught also teach." -Paulo Freire

Exit Slip On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions: 1.People who look at injustice and believe that it is natural and just the way the world works are operating at what level of consciousness? 2.At what level of consciousness do people try to find the structural and institutional causes of injustice? 3.What level of consciousness do you think you are at right now?