Pedagogy of the Oppressed Chapter One Reaction

Pedagogy of the Oppressed—Paulo Freire

© 2011

Translation by Myra Bergman Ramos

Chapter 1

Reaction

NOTE:  I have begun to read a more recent publication of Pedagogy of the Oppressed partially due to adjustments by the translator to the text.  The translator is the same, yet the text seems more manageable to me.

Oppression.  Being a middle-class, educated, White woman, it is something I have only explored on the periphery of my own experience. Knowing that there are people in society who are dehumanized and oppressed is not new information to me.  However, I realize the need to more deeply examine oppression due to my frustration with situations that impact society and education specifically.

In reading Freire, there are issues he addresses with which I completely agree.  I recognize that the cycle of oppression continues because of a lack of change in the framework of how societal situations function.  Dehumanization of all people is the main focus of Freire’s theory. Oppressors have lost their humanity because they have lost their compassion, understanding, and empathy. It seems those in control do not want to alter the functions of society, possibly because they may lose their oppressive position. There is comfort of all people impacted in relying on the status quo. This consolation of participants has been very evident in education.  It seems as though the students are to continue to rely on what the teachers impart to them, and the teachers seem to rely on what the “experts” pronounce to be appropriate instruction for students.  The issue for exploration would be to examine at what point students are given the power to lead instruction. 

Freire doesn’t seem to specifically mention human nature, but his work has led me to consider three different types of human interactions in our world.  There are those who take advantage—the oppressors; those of whom are taken advantage—the oppressed; and those who are in a position to advocate for the oppressed.  This last group of people is a small minority of people.  In our history, we can list the names of influential advocates and even build monuments to them. But I stop to think about all those who are not recognized because of the oppressive environment of our global community.  In education specifically, reformers seem to want to impose changes to the system rather than work with people directly impacted by the structure.  What needs to occur is those advocates need to begin and continue dialogues with one another and the oppressed.

            As I continue to read Freire, I find myself looking to current global examples of oppression and society’s response.  In the 40+ years that Pedagogy of the Oppressed has been in circulation, there has been little change in the methods of or the response to oppression. Being participants in the world in general, and education specifically, individuals need to recognize that if change is going to make a difference for the liberation of all, there must be a shift in the current frameworks.  Exploration of how to enact these shifts is crucial to conquering the oppressed’s fear of freedom.