POTO Reflection No. 1
For the first reflection, it seems appropriate to think through concepts attributed to Paulo Freire. When most speak of Freire, it seems they are more likely to focus on his notion of “banking education.” However, after reading his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and reviewing his writing in depth, there is so much more to his work. The book’s introduction, written by Donaldo Macedo, notes Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, provided him the wherewithal to reflect and cognize the practice of recognizing the necessary and brittle bond amongst the “colonizer and the colonized” (Freire, 2000, p. 11). This was not quite the same for me.
Being part of what some refer to as a “marginalized group,” it would be easy to agree immediately agree with Macedo. However, it seems the further one is from the actual act of colonization, the less likely it is to be seen as the root cause of the issue. Using the United States as the point of reference, one would have to come to an agreement the act of “colonization” did not occur for or to the vast majority of peoples. There was, however, a colonizing mindset, which created a caste-like system of haves and have-nots – purely based on race or skin color.
While Freire’s work is rooted in his experience with the exploitive results of a Brazil colonized by the Portuguese, my interpretation seems to place his work into the realm of “organizational systems” and “system maintenance.” Specifically, how those in the control are more likely to perpetuate a system that further supports their control. Moreover, it was Freire’s own experiences, which cemented his desire “to improve the conditions of marginalized people” (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Paulo Freire, n.d.). When this is taken into consideration, it is unlikely “colonizers” are the central characters of the story. We are just over four centuries from what might have been the colonization of North America, and based on current accounts, the present-day marginalized people were not yet populating the land.
So how does this relate to the present day? One has to address the mindset, if not the actual act. The mindset of the ruling caste seems to be in alignment with that of a colonizer. Some of the current day marginalized, appear to be in a daily struggle to deal with the conscientização. The remaining portion is either oblivious or unwilling to confront the reality of their circumstance.
In the beginning, when hearing of Freire’s work, it was only in relation to a rudimentary explanation regarding his concept of banking education. However, after reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed, one realizes Freire never actually advocated for this type of education. His focus was actually the dialogical model of education that respects what each person brings to the table. This concept is actually a stark contrast to the “banking model” of education because it presumes a reciprocated respect or parity amongst participants. This would never occur in the case of colonization.
As a matter of fact, as of today’s class, it became obvious there are several other concepts which seem to shape and inform Freire’s body of work. Those concepts are Praxis (applying a theory that leads to transformation), generative themes (concepts in dialectical interaction with their opposites), Easter experience (people rebirthed after conversion), dialogue (parity amidst participants), conscientization (critical awareness of social truth), and codification (understanding information based on real situations and people). These go far beyond what most tend to discuss as relates to Freire. Having now been exposed to the terms, there is now a jostling of the conceptual relationships and how they relate to my current role.
As of the beginning of July, I assume the role of Director of Enrollment Management for the country’s oldest African American Catholic School – Saint Frances Academy. It seems apropos to wrestle with the concepts of how education is delivered in a school founded for educating unlearned African American children. How does one serving in the role of “gatekeeper” move in such a way that children are provided the opportunity to become enlightened? How does balancing the school’s mission to offer “relevant educational programs which gives all members a sense of their cultural heritage and giftedness by helping students and members of the community, particularly the poor and the neglected, to recognize, develop and live as respectful, responsible, and just members of God’s human family” (St. Frances Academy, n.d.)? In this sense, depending on the outcome, a student or family might view someone with a similar racial or economic background as an oppressor. Does being an oppressor, make one a colonizer or promoter of a caste-like system?
These are still very rudimentary thoughts, but thoughts that need to be flushed out and brought to the forefront and addressed.
Díaz, K. Paulo Freire (1921 – 1997) (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2019 from https://www.iep.utm.edu/freire.
Freire, P., & Macedo, D. P. (2017). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Mission. Saint Frances Academy (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2019 from https://www.sfacademy.org/about-us/vision-mission.
