Assignment 1b

One of the first things I believe are important to understand about Paulo is what he wrote about in his book, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” In that writing he outlined how the oppressed had to fight or struggle to overcome the oppressors. And it wasn’t just a matter of defeating the oppressors, but also a matter of defeating the mindset that had been branded into their own psyche.

Another item I think it is important to know about Paulo – and this is building upon the previous point – is that there is no incentive for the Oppressor to change or even want to change the status quo. I can’t help but think about the current election going on here in the United States. Although now we’re hearing one party pickup the slogan of change, I can’t help but make the connection between what I’ve learned from Mr. Freire and what I see/read/hear in the news. The people in charge have no reason to want to change the current trends. The people in charge are fat and happy. And while I hesitate to call people in the United States “oppressed”, the fact that so many – especially those who lack even minimal levels of education continue to rally behind and buy into the same old rhetoric is disturbing. This lesson renewed my zeal in changing my mindset and emerging from what I consider a relatively oppressed state of being.

Finally, Paulo’s belief that a teacher cannot simply pontificate a lesson to be effective but must engage and learn from his student as much as he/she teaches is in fact the most effective method. This has in fact been the trend with some of the most profound and effective men and women in history.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed

http://www.comminit.com/en/node/27123/36