paulo freire books
Paulo Freire has been recognized as one of the most prominent educational thinkers of the 20th century. He believed that education was the most appropriate tool for the freedom of peoples. His philosophical postulates are still debated in classrooms, keeping his thoughts relevant. In this sense, he believed that education was the foundation for promoting the construction of knowledge that would foster human dignity and world consciousness.
According to the thinker it was fundamental «develop a pedagogy of inquiry«. From the thinker's perspective, traditional education has been based on a pedagogy of answers that hinders the search for new knowledge, since the answers have already been given. Paulo Freire defended the idea that:
"Knowledge must be built from the different realities that affect the two political subjects in action, apprentice and teacher."
In other words, he considered that educational practice should promote curious students, who should discover the learning content. This new educational vision prompted him to write a series of books that we will discuss below.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
It is considered the author's most important work. Published in 1968, it analyzes the relationship between oppressors and the oppressed, and how this relationship influences education. It defends the thesis of a pedagogy in which subjects learn to construct knowledge through the various situations that arise in everyday life. Like this writer, there are current writers who address everyday problems that allow for an educational contribution, such as the one presented at the following link. The Biography of Carlos Cauhtémoc Sánchez
It proposes to displace the pedagogy for the oppressed, for one where the subject must build his reality through experiences, situations that come from everyday life. To do this, the subject must build texts that allow him to reflect and analyze the world in which he lives, but not to adapt to it, but to improve his world.
Paulo Freire books speaks of a liberating pedagogy. The method must be abandoned by educators, as it is the instrument with which they manipulate subjects. To learn more about the impact of education, you can consult the books by Pilar Sordo.
According to Paulo Freire's book, pedagogy involves two distinct stages. The first, as noted above, refers to the awareness of the reality in which the individual operates. This is based on the recognition of being an oppressed subject in the face of the impositions of the oppressors.
The second proposal refers to the initiative of the oppressed to fight against the oppressors and liberate themselves in order to achieve praxis. In summary, for the author:
«The pedagogy of the oppressed, as a humanist and liberating pedagogy, will thus have two different but interrelated moments. The first, in which the oppressed reveal the world of oppression and commit themselves, in praxis, to its transformation, and the second, in which, once the oppressive reality has been transformed, this pedagogy ceases to belong to the oppressed and becomes the pedagogy of men in a process of permanent liberation»
The Gentle Cry
According to Paulo Freire, men and women are historically incomplete, unfinished, and unfinished subjects. Based on this fact, education becomes the fundamental tool for the search for truth and knowledge. For Freire, being unfinished beings means that humanity is in a process of constant search. For the author, this process is what leads to the intellectual quest that fills the subject with hope. This work by Paulo Freire is published thanks to one of his last public appearances. In short, the book addresses the problems that plague the practice of education at the beginning of the 21st century.
The importance of reading and the release process
Paulo Freire's work on the transformation of pedagogy into the relationship between educator and student has influenced traditional teaching methods. His work, entitled "The Importance of Reading and the Process of Liberation," addresses a profound critique of the "banking" teaching method. In other words, he rejects the idea that teachers deposit what they consider knowledge into the minds of students.
He also criticizes this method, since it eliminates all kinds of reflection and criticism of the knowledge that has been accumulated through history. That is why he considers that pedagogy should move to a method of questions. This under the premise that students should reflect, analyze to build their own knowledge.
About Cultural Action
Paulo Freire Books presents his work entitled "On Cultural Action," a collection of essays written by Paulo Freire while he lived in Chile. In these writings, he presents his views on various methods for teaching adults and other issues of educational interest. To learn more about the impact of education on the world, it is recommended to read works by other authors who have left their mark, such as books by Rafael Santandre.
Pedagogy: Dialogue and Conflict
Among others, Paulo Freire presents his work entitled "Pedagogy: Dialogue and Conflict," where he sets forth a series of explanations about pedagogical and educational methods, taking a stance contrary to the technicalities that prevailed at the time.
In summary, we present the pedagogical work of Paulo Freire book in the following audiovisual material.