In his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire elaborates on systemic oppression and how it has become ingrained in society. Freire explores a unique way of looking at oppression: both the oppressors and the oppressed are responsible for the perpetuation of oppression, but only the oppressed can begin the process of diminishing an oppressive reality. The oppressive reality creates a polar reality in which one either needs to the oppressed or the oppressor. The oppressed who are able to escape their position are no longer equals of their former peers, rather they have unintentionally immersed themselves into the position of the oppressor. Oppression can be masked under the guise of charity: "false charity" stems from paternalistic instinct and allows oppressors to rationalize their behavior. It emphasizes the hierarchy of the superior and the inferior. In order for the oppressive reality to diminish, the oppressed must unveil the oppressive reality and then the humanistic pedagogy will belong to everyone once the reality of oppression has been transformed. I enjoyed reading this perspective on oppression. Rather than simply blaming the oppressor and demanding a change, Freire breaks down the system and states why the oppressors cannot effectively break down the oppressive reality.
His relating of his philosophy to the current education system was very interesting. He describes the traditional educational instruction as “banking education” in which the teacher is the oppressor and the student is the oppressed. In place, Freire suggests “problem-posing education” which requires students to think critically and participate in dialogue to work through their problems. I fully support this method of teaching that allows the teacher and student to have a more equal relationship and learn together. I do think there needs to be more guidance than is suggested in the second chapter, but the shift to teaching students how to learn is significant for a system notorious for teaching students to memorize a single answer. If I have a classroom of my own someday, I would like it to be largely discussion based. I think there is too much emphasis on learning only from teachers when classmates can learn from and with one another through discussion. This also promotes students having to think deeper about the problems presented rather than simply filling in a single answer.
I liked reading Freire’s perception of teachers; students view them as the all-knowing sources who hold the answers to their questions. The reality is that teachers do not know everything and students should not look at them in that way. The habitual “collecting of answers” from teachers does not create eager learners, it creates students who memorize answers for tests and do not retain knowledge. This system oppresses students from genuine thinking despite well-intentioned teachers attempts to teach students in the way they were taught how to. It requires students to feed the teacher what they want rather than encouraging the students to think in an equal way. It is easier for teachers to teach to a test rather than engaging students in discussion and assignments that are also relevant outside of that single lecture, test or book. This is why I really enjoy Freire’s philosophy of oppression and its relationship to education; it doesn’t only promote equality amongst the students, but amongst the students and the teacher. As modeled in his philosophy of oppression in chapter one, the cycle cannot be broken by the oppressor. Students must acknowledge the oppressive education system and work toward a system that recognizes the potential of the students and teachers as equal.
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