Assignment 1b

Paulo Freire

1) Freire believes that education is a means by which to induce social change. He strongly advocates and promotes adult literacy as he is aware that illiteracy is much like an anchor weighting someone down, preventing any social mobility. Freire worked towards liberating those being oppressed, those held back by poverty that affect all areas of their lives. In Brazil one could not vote unless they were literate, which, unfortunately, many were not. His radical thoughts regarding education sparked a great deal a great deal of reform in other areas as well. Areas such as environmentalism, health services, and social movements. Freire's ideas have reached to nations such as Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe, and Australia. If his ideas are not implemented solely for the purpose of education they are implemented in alternative methods, such as political empowerment put into action by many industrialized nations.  In Freire's mind there were two ways that education could be implemented. Education could either be used to mold and force citizens in order to fit them into the present system or it can encourage people to critically examine and question reality to discover how to transform society itself. Students are not blank slates, the empty bank theory is not accepted by Freire, he believes that both the student and teacher impact each other. Their roles are interchangeable and they each bring a great deal to the table, both learning and teaching. Thus, democracy in a classroom. 

2) Freire's background has clearly had a great influence on his ideas and viewpoints regarding education and society. He personally experienced the poverty and oppression of which he writes and combats. Freire lived through the 1929 Great Depression and his family experienced difficult times yet rose above them. He went on the go to law school at a prestigious university. These hard times in the past shaped his concern for those in poverty and the oppressive forces holding them back. He went on to take many active roles to turn his theories into reality. He became the Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Social Service in the state of Pernambuco and worked with the illiterate poor, as literacy was required to participate in elections. In 1961 Freire became the Director of the Department of Cultural Extension of Recife University. He put his theories to the test and succeeded in teaching three hundred sugarcane workers to read and write in forty-five days. After this grand success the Brazilian government approved thousands of cultural programs across the country. Due to his hard work to induce social change Freire was thrown in prison and labeled a traitor followed by a brief exile. He went on to participate in many other movements such as the Christian Democratic Agrarian Reform Movement, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Workers Party. Freire's entire life had a great influence over his theories, ideas, and beliefs from early childhood to his work with the under privileged, and positions in the educational world. Without his personal experience, Freire would not have identified on such a personal level thus giving him the drive to accomplish his goals. 

3)Freire saw knowledge as a social construct and he believed that only two types existed. There was unconscious knowledge which is labeled as practical and critical. The second type of knowledge is reflective or theoretical knowledge. Beliefs are a different category yet can be developed into knowledge through discussion, critical thinking, and thorough reflection. One can know things through common sense yet to obtain a deeper meaning one must critically examine all aspects of a subject. Humans have the ability to set themselves apart from animals in that they can use this knowledge to shape the world around them to enhance their future. All actions have an affect on the future. This knowledge, once obtained, can help eliminate all the oppressive forces that limit success. If the poverty stricken cannot see a light at the end of a tunnel, no way to escape the dismal reality in which the exist, then they do not have the will to make any sort of attempt to cast off their restraints. Once they obtain knowledge the tunnel grows increasingly brighter. 

Works Cited

Lyons, John. "Paulo Freire's Educational Theory." New Foundations. 4 Jan. 2008. 
     3 Feb. 2009 
     Freire.html>.

Yoo, Sung-Sang. "Freiran Pedagogy." Paulo Freire Institute. UCLA. 3 Feb. 2009 
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