Pedagogy of the Oppressed

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire explores the ways that an oppressive system harms everyone who lives within it, including the oppressors themselves. He says, in the opening of his book, “the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed [is] to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well.” Analyze the ways in which this philosophy is developed in the book, and consider the following points as you develop your thoughts:

• What does it mean for the oppressed to be responsible for the liberation of not only themselves but their oppressors?
• How does Freire develop this idea in his book?
• Why might this philosophy be controversial, and how might Freire respond to critique?
• How does this concept connect to the text’s main themes of Oppression and Class Struggle, Humanism and the Pedagogy of Liberation, and Conscientization?

Teaching Suggestion: Consider providing students with a graphic organizer prior to the discussion so they can organize their thoughts and come prepared with comments, questions, and evidence. You might create a template so that students can consider the ways in which the above philosophy is developed in the book before connecting their thoughts to the text’s main themes.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from support participating in a discussion, consider providing an alternative form of collaborative discussion—you might consider facilitating a silent discussion in which students either record their questions and thoughts on the board or pass around a piece of paper in a small group where they ask questions, make comments, and address each other’s thoughts.