What are the main ideas in Freire’s ’Pedagogy of the Oppressed’? How can we apply this theory to our own work as activists working towards social justice and social change?
Microsoft Word - A1 Instructions 2020.docx A1 Critical Review Weight: 30% Word limit: 900 words Type of Collaboration: Individual Due: Week 4, 11:59pm 14th August 2020 Submission: Turnitin Format: Question: What are the main ideas in Freire’s ’Pedagogy of the Oppressed’? How can we apply this theory to our own work as activists working towards social justice and social change? Length: 900 words (+/- 10%) Curriculum Mode: Critical Review Structuring your Critical Review: First, answer this question: 1. What are the main ideas of Freire’s ’Pedagogy of the Oppressed’? Introduce your argument with a brief outline of the aspects of Freire’s writing that you found most relevant and inspiring. This need only be a short paragraph (200-300 words). Then, answer the following question: 2. How can we apply this theory to our own work as activists working towards social justice and social change? (600- 700 words). Understanding theories of social change and applying these theories is what this unit is all about. You need to think about how we use theory to underpin our involvement in bringing about social change through collective action. Freire is concerned with social inequality, oppression and how to transform our world. He urges us to ‘unveil oppression and through praxis commit to transformation’ and ‘fight to be human, to take away the oppressor’s power to oppress’. He encourages us to think about the ways the system creates, reinforces and perpetuates the power of the oppressors, through dehmumanising the oppressed. The only way society can be transformed is if the oppressed lead the way. We need to understand and utilise experiences of powerlessness, exploitation and inequality and work collectively for transformative action to regain humanity and ultimately freedom. The readings demonstrate the ways that others have been inspired and drawn of Freire’s work. In the reading below, Smith powerfully demonstrates how First Nations people have taken up this challenge and are leading us all towards social transformation. She assists us to think about the ways we can understand colonisation and the impact on First Nations peoples and how we can listen, join and act towards collective transformation. The Falzon reading, demonstrates ways of framing our work towards transformation. These authors demonstrate how you can apply these theories to your own work. Commonwealth of Australia Copyright Act 1968 WARNING This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Western Sydney University in accordance with Section 113P, Copyright Act 1968 (the Act). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. CHAPTER 1 W hile the problem of humanization has always, from an axiological point of view, been humankind's central problem, it now takes on the character of an inescapable concern. 1 Concern for humanization leads at once to the recognition of dehumanization, not only as an ontological possibility but as an historical reality. And as an individual perceives the extent of dehu manization, he or she may ask if humanization is a viable possibility. Within history; in concrete, objective contexts, both humanization and dehumanization are possibilities for a person as an uncompleted being conscious of their incompletion. But while both humanization and dehumanization are real alter natives, only the first is the people's vocation. This vocation is con stantly negated, yet it is affirmed by that very negation. It is 1. The current movements of rebellion, especially those of youth, while they necessarily reflect the peculiarities of their respective settings, manifest in their essence this preoccupation with people as beings in the world and with the world preoccupation with what and how they are "being." As they place consumer civiliza tion in judgment, denounce bureaucracies of all types, demand the transformation of the universities (changing the rigid nature of the teacher-student relationship and placing that relationship within the context of reality), propose the transformation of reality itself so that universities can be renewed, attack old orders and established institutions in the attempt to affirm human beings as the Subjects of decision, all these movements reflect the style of our age, which is more anthropological than anthropocentric . ... . .. 44· PAULO FREIRE thwarted by injustice, exploitation, oppression, and the violence of the oppressors; it is affirmed by the yearning of the oppressed for freedom and justice, and by their struggle to recover their lost hu manity. Dehumanization, which marks not only those whose humanity has been stolen, but also (though in a different way) those who have stolen it, is a distortion of the vocation of becoming more fully human. This distortion occurs within history; but it is not an histori cal vocation. Indeed, to admit of dehumanization as an historical vocation would lead either to cynicism or total despair. The struggle for humanization, for the emancipation of labor, for the overcoming ofalienation, for the affirmation of men and women as persons would be meaningless. This struggle is possible only because dehumaniza tion, although a concrete historical fact, is not a given destiny but the result of an unjust order that engenders violence in the oppres sors, which in turn dehumanizes the oppressed. Because it is a distortion of being more fully human, sooner or later being less human leads the oppressed to struggle against those who made them so. In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity (which is a way to create it), become in turn oppressors of the oppressors, but rather restorers of the humanity of both. This, then, is the great humanistic and historical task of the op pressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well. The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the op pressed or themselves. Only power that springs from the weakness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free both. Any attempt to "soften" the power of the oppressor in deference to the weakness of the oppressed almost always manifests itself in the form of false generosity; indeed, the attempt never goes beyond this. In order to have the continued opportunity to express their "generosity;" the oppressors must perpetuate injustice as well. An unjust social order is the permanent fount of this "generosity;" which is nourished by death, despair, and poverty. That is why the dispensers of false gen erosity become desperate at the slightest threat to its source. PEDAGOGY 0 True generosity consists I which nourish false charity. subdued, the "rejects of life generosity lies in striving Sl uals or entire peoples-nee tion, so that more and more and, working, transform th~ This lesson and this appr~ oppressed themselves and: them. As individuals or as of their humanity they will generosity. Who are better stand the terrible significan the effects of oppression me understand the necessity ofl tion by chance but through their recognition of the neo cause of the purpose given i tute an act of love opposing of the oppressors' violence, generosity. But almost always, durinj oppressed, instead of strivin come oppressors, or "sub-oJ thought has been conditione existential situation by whid men; but for them, to be I model of humanity. This phe oppressed, at a certain mom~ an attitude of "adhesion" tc stances they cannot "considel him-to discover him "outsi~ ily mean that the oppressed i But their perception of thtl their submersion in the rea perception of themselves as I ----- lIRE 'ession, and the violence of rrning of the oppressed for ~le to recover their lost hu illy those whose humanity rerent way) those who have n of becoming more fully lory; but it is not an histori nanization as an historical total despair. The struggle if labor, for the overcoming ld women as persons would only because dehumaniza is not a given destiny but ers violence in the oppres ~ressed. Ire fully human, sooner or ~d to struggle against those iggle to have meaning, the 1 their humanity (which is Isors of the oppressors, but ~ historical task of the op Ir oppressors as well. The Ie by virtue of their power, to liberate either the op ,prings from the weakness ~ to free both. Any attempt deference to the weakness I itself in the form of false ~s beyond this. In order to ess their "generosity," the reB. An unjust social order y," which is nourished by he dispensers of false gen threat to its source. - ---~ - PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED· 45 True generosity consists precisely in fighting to destroy the causes which nourish false charity. False charity constrains the fearful and subdued, the "rejects of life," to extend their trembling hands. True generosity lies in striving so that these hands-whether of individ uals or entire peoples-need be extended less and less in supplica tion, so that more and more they become human hands which work and, working, transform the world. This lesson and this apprenticeship must come, however, from the oppressed themselves and from those who are truly solidary with them. As individuals or as peoples, by fighting for the restoration of their humanity they will be attempting the restoration of true generosity. Who are better prepared than the oppressed to under stand the terrible significance of an oppressive society? Who suffer the effects of oppression more than the oppressed? Who can better understand the necessity of liberation? They will not gain this libera tion by chance but through the praxis of their quest for it, through their recognition of the necessity to fight for it. And this fight, be cause of the purpose given it by the oppressed