By Ozge Suvari
Liberation and humanisation of the oppressed is a deeply challenging and transformative process. As Paulo Freire suggests, it is akin to childbirthâpainful, yet life-giving. It requires individuals to confront the oppressor within themselves, dismantling internalised belief systems that perpetuate their subjugation. This resonates deeply with my own journey through education, where I have experienced moments of oppression and struggled to liberate myself. Although I connect my experiences with Freireâs concepts, I recognise that they differ significantly from the more severe forms of oppression others endure. Yet, it is important to acknowledge how oppression manifests in diverse and often subtle ways.
During my compulsory education, from primary school to high school, I had little agency in choosing what I wanted to study. I learned what was prescribed, and while I enjoyed learning, I felt truly passionate only about the things I pursued in my free time. My liberation began in university, where, for the first time, I had the freedom to decide what to study, choose my instructors, and work with teammates. In architecture school, I was encouraged to imagine entirely new possibilities and free my mind from what I had known to be true. This required questioning not only the physical world around me but also the social constructs embedded within it. My imagination, shaped by my environment and past experiences, had to be reshaped through critical reflection and creativity. Unlike engineering-focused architectural education, my program emphasised art and creative thinking. There were no prescribed building types or rigid definitions; even the conception of a âbuildingâ was challenged.
However, this newfound freedom was initially overwhelming as I had been used to structured lectures and clear facts. I didnât know how to make the best choices for myself or how to collaborate with my peers. Moving from the “I” to the “we” was a difficult transition, filled with internal struggles and conflicts with teammates. Over time, however, I began to see the power of this opennessâit was in these spaces of uncertainty that true creativity and innovation emerged. So, reflecting on those days, education was a site of creative liberation.
Nothing is entirely innocent and without duality in this world. Freireâs insights into internalised oppression remind me of my realisation of how deeply I had absorbed the values of the capitalist system during this process. Though presented as a liberating journey, education is often tied to financial privilege. Without resources, one must work tirelessly, be competitive, and demonstrate productivity to secure funding or opportunities. In this way, the very system that offers liberation also sustains oppression. Another internalised oppressor in my journey was creativity itself. Creativity is often commodified within the current economic system, valued not for its transformative potential but for its ability to produce new goods and methods for the market. Paradoxically, some of the most creative architects have also been among the greatest oppressors, perpetuating systems of exploitation through their innovations. Freire argues that this dualityâthe coexistence of liberation and the internalised oppressorâ is inherent in any transformative journey towards liberation.
As Freire suggests, education must be a space where we critically reflect on these contradictions, confront the systems we have internalised, and take intentional action to transform them. The university should not merely be a “job factoryâ but a liberating space where we can imagine and create alternatives. It is through the collective dimensions of educationâworking together, sharing ideas, and forming relationshipsâthat I have discovered the true potential for education to transform not only individuals but also the systems we inhabit. Relationships have reminded me that liberation is not a solitary pursuit but a shared effort. For me, this process has been painful, like childbirth, but it is also giving birth to a new, more humanised version of myself and, hopefully, my small environment.
References:
Freire, P. (2017). Pedagogy of the oppressed. London: Penguin Classics.
Araneta, K., Fraser, J., & Maatwk, F. (2022). University of Westminster Student Partnership Framework.
Latest posts by tyagis (see all)
- Reflections on Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Chapter 1) - 17 February 2025
- Education As a Site of Creative Liberation - 17 February 2025
- Reflection on Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Westminsterâs Student Partnership Framework - 17 February 2025