Freire summary from Shannon

Paulo Freire: Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Thoughts on Chapters 1 & 2
Shannon Stevens
1/31/2012

Fair warning: Chapter 2 is a breeze (no wonder it’s cited so often); Chapter 1 is seriously heady stuff.

CHAPTER 1:

Let’s begin at the end, as the concluding paragraph to this chapter does an excellent job of summing up the way Freire wants us to think about the oppressed/oppressor and about the vital role of teachers and students working together in revolutionary ways to raise consciousness of self and the world:

A revolutionary leadership must accordingly practice co-intentional education. Teachers and students (leadership and people), co-intent on reality, are both Subjects, not only in the task of unveiling that reality, and thereby coming to know it critically, but in the task of re-creating that knowledge. As they attain this knowledge of reality through common reflection and action, they discover themselves as its permanent re-creators. In this way, the presence of the oppressed in the struggle for their liberation will be what it should be: not pseudo-participation, but committed involvement (p. 69).

Some ideas that can help us follow Freire’s thinking and his call to action:

· Dehumanization—Basically what he means here is that the oppressors seek to possess/own those they oppress, converting them into objects, a conversion that can only happen through the violence (this can mean both physical and/or psychic violence) of dehumanization. However, this violent distortion dehumanizes the oppressor as well, leading to “the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well” (p. 44). This idea is a useful one for understanding why some of our students lash out in the creative ways they do, ways thoroughly explored by Ira Schorr.

· Prescription—This idea is fairly straightforward, as it relates to a fundamental understanding of the oppressor/oppressed relationship as a prescribed one. “Every prescription represents the imposition of one individual’s choice upon another, transforming the consciousness of the person prescribed to into one that conforms with the prescriber’s consciousness” (p. 47). It is here that Freire begins to introduce another important concept, which is the internalization by the oppressed of the oppressor’s will. That can manifest itself in any number of ways, including self-hatred, fear, guilt, and a complete lack of confidence in the ability of the self to achieve a new level of existence as a human being with a conscience and choices: a free person.

· Systematic education vs. educational projects: The first can only be changed by those with political power; the second, however, “should be carried out with the oppressed in the process of organizing them” (p. 54). Freire tells us that any division between the teacher and the student (or the leader and the people) runs the risk of objectifying the student/people/oppressed in a way that is exploitative as it inherently limits the student/people/oppressed person’s ability to understand and fully develop her/his humanity. Avoid the violence! And in so doing, be a part of the oppressed realizing their humanity while the oppressors are finally able to do the same thing. So, really, it’s better for everyone.

· Conversion/rebirth: Freire does not take the transformation toward freedom and humanity lightly, labeling it a form of conversion that falls nothing short of rebirth. “Conversion to the people requires a profound rebirth. Those who undergo it must take on a new form of existence; they can no longer remain as they were” (p. 61). One of the ways we help in this birthing process as leaders/teacher is to historically place the existence of the oppressed, to foster raised consciousness and awareness in a way that empowers them toward liberation. “As long as the oppressed remain unaware of the causes of their condition, they fatalistically ‘accept’ their exploitation. … Little by little, however, they tend to try out forms of rebellious action. In working towards liberation, one must neither lose sight of this passivity nor overlook the moment of awakening” (p. 64).

As I said, Freire does not take this task lightly. It is a tall order that requires constant attention in both thought and action (praxis). However, if we sign on to this revolutionary way of teaching/learning, Freire promises us a new state of being, both as humans and as creatures of the world.

Chapter 2:

For this chapter, I do not believe it is necessary to have such an extensive exploration of Freire’s thoughts, particularly as we have already been exposed to the “banking model” in some of our other readings and discussions. Basically, what he covers here is the deeply flawed system that assumes the instructor (here in the role of the oppressor) is filled with knowledge which s/he bestows upon the empty vessel of the student (here in the role of the oppressed), thereby reinforcing the human as object rather than subject. Instead, we must view teaching as a simultaneous learning experience, for as we learn from each other our consciousness is increased as is our placement in the world.

And one quick aside... this text is already making me think and rethink my actions, which has led to some very interesting interactions with my students this week. Nice to have my assumptions challenged.