By Maheera Choudhury
Throughout our lives, we often become numb to the many structures we are forced to be a part of that shape our everyday lives. Merely a chess piece in the vast game we call life. Without power, we are deemed inferior, lack free will and are oppressed. We often take on a deterministic perspective of the world, believing that we are incapable of changing the system and that our actions have no effect on our lives, which are already controlled by external forces. But what if I could tell you that all these ideas were just constraints we put on against ourselves? What if we could take charge of our futures and present by recognising our positions and taking action? Paulo Freire discusses these ideas, expressing how limiting beliefs such as these prevent us from achieving our true potential.
In his explanation of internalised oppression, Freire highlights how oppressed individuals often accept their lives as an unchangeable reality despite this not being the whole truth. As the dominant group creates negative and restrictive stereotypes of the oppressed, individuals experience a self-fulfilling prophecy. This causes them to believe that they are undeserving and incapable and accept unjust treatment as a result. However, Freire argues that this is completely false and is damaging. He expresses the power the oppressed can have once they recognise they can be so much more and become proactive in changing their destiny.
Freire notes, āIt is not enough that men are not slavesā.
He describes how breaking away from physical oppression isnāt nearly enough. Liberation from oppression must involve a deeper process that ensures that oppression is fought from within, with individuals being educated and made self-aware. They must be empowered and supplied with the necessary tools to access this freedom. And must be perceived as equal to their oppressors.
This process is particularly important in education. In order to truly achieve liberation for the oppressed, Freire suggests co-intentional education. Freire argues oppressors such as teachers often donāt recognise their positions of privilege and power through which they oppress their students. Consequently, the first step involves both parties acknowledging the reality of the power dynamics and being proactive in breaking down these barriers. Additionally, Freire explains how students are often passive in their learning, which is dehumanising and harmful. Students are objectified rather than seen as equal subjects by their teachers, further reinforcing their oppression in society. He criticises how students are only passive recipients in their learning and suggests that a collaborative process is necessary to create a reciprocal transaction.
Freire believes in the possibility of having positive social change through working together, listening to one another and treating each other with equal respect. In creating a collaborative environment where teachers recognise the value studentās perspectives and input can have in shaping their learning, both parties can work towards a more equal and human society. As Freire states, liberation isnāt a gift from oppressors. It is not something that can be achieved independently but instead through partnership. Education is a way for students to be empowered to act for their own liberation and transform themselves and the society around them. By dismantling oppressive structures together, students are not only more engaged in learning, but teachers too can learn and gain knowledge from their collaborative relationships.
Freire, P. (2017). Pedagogy of the oppressed. London: Penguin Classics.
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