Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Book, 1968 (English translation -1970), 30th anniversary (2005) edition
Premise - Brazilian popular educator Paolo Freire, pretty much the most famous historical figure in Brazilian philosophy (and one of the most popular activists like... ever), and his classic book on his popular education model that discusses the oppressed's role in its own liberation. Freire writes about how no one has more to offer to the oppressed than the oppressed themselves, who are the experts in their own experiences. Furthermore, the best forms of revolution will always come from the oppressed, as any revolution efforts instigated by the oppressor will further their own domination. In the realm of education, the traditional banking model of education in which the oppressor teaches inflexible, prepackaged, and uncritical material reinforces social boundaries, ignoring the fact that the oppressed have so much of their own expertise to offer in return.
Review - I just read on Wikipedia that this is the third most cited social text of all time, and yet, I still feel as though this hasn't been read enough. The text is highly philosophical and abstract, which may make it feel inaccessible to average readers. At the same time, however, many young and rather non-intellectual people find themselves enraptured by this text somehow, particularly those within marginalized identities, perhaps because the impact of the words can be felt so deeply without much intellectual engagement on the intricacies of how it all fits together philosophically.
I read this for my "Advocacy and Empowerment" class in graduate school, and it is perhaps my favorite text I have been assigned thus far. It was a massively paradoxical text to read in such a class where the title implies that somehow, as the mental health "professionals", we empower our clients. And yet, with this text as the centerpiece, the class was really able to criticize this one-way model of empowerment and demonstrate the power the oppressed already possess.
A major critique is the sort of binary nature of the oppressed/oppressor that fits well into post-Marxist philosophy, and yet wildly ignores the intersectionality models that are most widely accepted today. There are situations in which all of us can be the oppressed, and others in which we can be the oppressor. It's not as simple as a caste society in which you have the uber elite, and the poor peasants in the street as Marxists would suggest.
Nevertheless, I devoured this text. I saved more quotes from this text that I have possibly ever saved from any other - quotes to hang up in my room, refer back to, send to others, and use as continual reminders of why I do what I do, or just as importantly what it is that it's not my place to do. What is most profound, therefore, is how much this text continues to stick with me and, quite literally, directly impact my work. I have Friere's popular education model as a pretty foundational model for my own social work with young people, which impacts the manner in which I trust them, the content with which I educate them, and the chances I give for them to teach me. (99/100)
Quote - Like i said, I saved SO many quotes, so I'll just share a few of my absolute favorites here, but this is just a fraction:
“Denial of communion in the revolutionary process, avoidance of dialogue with the people under the pretext of organizing them, of strengthening revolutionary power, or of ensuring a united front, is really a fear of freedom. It is fear of or a lack of faith in the people. But if the people cannot be trusted, there is no reason for liberation; in this case the revolution is not even carried out for the people, but “by” the people for the leaders: a complete self-negation.”
“Liberation is thus a childbirth, and a painful one. The man or woman who emerges is a new person”
“…purely reformist solutions attempted by these societies (even though some of the reforms may frighten and even panic the more reactionary members of the elite groups) do not resolve their external and internal contradictions. Almost always the metropolitan society induces these reformist solutions in response to the demands of the historical process, as a new way of preserving its hegemony. It is as if the metropolitan society were saying: “Let us carry out reforms before the people carry out a revolution.” – Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
“Some may think that to affirm dialogue – the encounter of women and men in the world in order to transform the world – is naively and subjectively idealistic. There is nothing, however, more concrete than people in the world and with the world, than humans with other humans” – Paolo Friere, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
“The insistence that the oppressed engage in reflection on their concrete situation is not a call to armchair revolution. On the contrary, reflection – true reflection – leads to action.” – Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
“With the establishment of a relationship of oppression, violence has already begun. Never in history has violence been initiated by the oppressed. How could they be the initiators, if they themselves are the result of violence? How could they be the sponsors of something whose objective inauguration called fort their existence as oppressed? There would be no oppressed had there been no prior situation of violence to establish their subjugation.” – Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
"Yet it is – paradoxical though it may seem – precisely in the response of the oppressed to the violence of their oppressors that a gesture of love may be found. Consciously or unconsciously, the act of rebellion by the oppressed (an act which is always, or near always, as violent as the initial violence of the oppressors) can initiate love. Whereas the violence of the oppressors prevents the oppressed from being fully human, the response of the latter to this violence is grounded in the desire to pursue the right to be human.” – Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
What to read for - Allllll the quotessssss
If you liked this book, I'd recommend Color of Violence: The Incite! Anthology. I've only read part of it but plan on reading the rest, most definitely.
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