Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Forward

Pedagogy of the Oppressed—Paulo Freire

© 1970 

Translation by Myra Bergman Ramos

Forward by Richard Shaull

Forward:

In the forward of this text, Richard Shaull presents the position and the impact of Freire’s work of teaching poor and disadvantaged people to become transformative figures in the development of society. 

Shaull begins by describing Freire’s own upbringing and personal journey through society within North East Brazil.  He touches on how Freire and his family, who were of the middle-class in their community, were subject to financial hardships due to world-wide economic events in the late 1920’s.  From this change in Freire’s family and his subsequent experiences, Shaull describes how Freire developed his understanding of people who were in powerful situations and their control over those people who had no control. These people who had no control were what Freire described as being members of the “culture of silence” of the disadvantaged.

Shaull goes on to describe how Freire began to deconstruct and explore the reality of the society in which the oppressed were not encouraged to be proactive in their struggles to overcome this “culture of silence”.  Freire’s views were considered so radical that he was jailed for the work he began at the University of Recife.  After his release, Freire was ‘encouraged’ to leave Brazil. During this time, he continued his work and subsequently published Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

To complete the forward, Shaull outlines Freire’s work in the subsequent text.  This outline does not go into details about the work, but Shaull does prepare the reader for what Freire’s position is regarding the oppressed and the oppressors. 

Reaction to Forward:

            Reading this forward helped me to begin to process what I was (and still am) about to encounter with the work of Freire.  Having a short biography of the experiences that brought Freire to his work helped me to better understand his position.  I agree with Freire’s opinion that “man’s ontological vocation…is to be a Subject who acts upon and transforms his world” (pg. 12).  The notion to be proactive in one’s life rather than reactive is a position to which I subscribe. 

As a teacher, I would like to think that I allow my students opportunities for being proactive outlined by Shaull regarding Freire’s work.  The one thing I am struggling with is that my background is one of privilege—in the sense that I am White, middle class, educated—and I have not truly experienced oppression ala Freire.  I am a product of the steps in life of what our society deems appropriate.  Can I really find ways, a pedagogy, to support those in our society who need and desire to enact change for improvement?  How can I find support in recognition of my position and thus enact change for myself?  I am hoping to find answers—or at least begin my own journey—in Freire’s work.