I had gone to an adventive American couple’s newly rented house
as part of infare. With my interest in books, I asked them to suggest me a good
book to read from their excellent collection that was on display. After a brief
pause came a seaming reply “Pedagogy of Liberation” with a cursory smile saying:
‘You will like it!’
Returning home, I read the book sincerely for the first 30-40 pages and I read about 15-20 important questions from the remainder chapters of the book. During my next visit when I returned back the book, prompt came the question: “How was it?” I replied honestly, “Okay! It’s a 1987 book and the world has moved ahead since then.” A short conversation took place between us on the book, followed by their looks and body language that sort of told me – “What does he think of himself by commenting on Paulo Freire and Ira Shor’s book?” “He really would not have understood the book!”
I reflected on their non-verbal communications and thought that it may be a good idea to write a brief review of the book I read.
.Paulo Freire is a renowned Brazilian educationalist who was passionately obsessed with the word ‘pedagogy’ that made him write Pedagogy - of Oppressed, in Process, for Liberation, of the City, of Hope, for Freedom, of Heart, and of Indignation (in chronological order spreading across 30 years) to name a few. Interesting! How can one be so possessed with one word – Pedagogy?
Whereas, Ira Shor who grew up in working class area and educated to be a Philosophy Professor in New York was interested in philosophy and pedagogy drawing him near to Freire to understand the rhetoric on education.
Pedagogy comes from ancient Greek paidagogos – a slave who supervises the education of slave children in the trade they were directed. The word paidia refers to children. The Latin derived its word pedagogy from Greek meaning – ‘education’ which is much more widely used in modern context – also meaning the study of being a teacher or process of teaching.
The content of conversational mode of this book makes it an interesting read in terms of an elder guru (Freire) educating a younger learner (Paulo) with guru keeping an open mind to learn. My problem with the book comes with the rhetoric of empty talks, empty words – magniloquence to say the least.
Under the framework of pedagogy, trying to fit different concepts – in this case Liberation – Freire stretches imagination to extremes. Liberation of subjects and objects – as referred by Freire where he does not seem to move beyond that clause of a teacher and pupil - disturbs.
Freire - partly successful implementation in Brazil in opening multiple children schools, imprisonment, invited and respected worldwide - lead to theorizing and cuddling to the concept of Pedagogy for next 20 years, without self-criticism on the narrowness of reach of pedagogy – does not shows openness, nor shows a scientific insight to progress. I understand that the contextualization of all theories of Freire happened in South America with a flourished criticism of religious Church affiliations under the Marxist influence. It was lapped up by North American liberal educationalist with the freshness of Freire’s innovating concepts around consciousness, oppression, culture, freedom – moving from the realm of outer world of education (1967) to the inward world of heart (1990) – shows a unique quality few possess – surely it showcases evolution of Freire’s thoughts. But the whole process is not over. Friere died in 1997. In history, Freire will be remembered as a footnote on bringing concept ‘pedagogy’ to forefront. But since Freire first wrote his views till he died and beyond that - when this review is written after more than a decade after his death – the world has moved ahead from pedagogy to andragogy and will move ahead further in coming years with new philosophies.
One with intellect is not the least to be zapped by words – spoken or written. How can one hold on a position of an open teacher (subject) – ready for change and listening to pupil (object) and using conversation to teach beyond moving from the box of teacher-pupil? I find that overtly intellectualizing – leaning to stupidity. The conversations suffer from lack of direction, and dialogues seem disconnected.
I read few other writings of Freire and found that he indulges in palaver rhetoric in language replete with academic abstractions and newly coined expression - time and again - a self serving egoist hobby of elite male urban intelligentsia. I think that is the reason he sounds so patriarchal and sexists with ‘I know’ cogito ergo sum. His talks are uni-directional – unmoving in its sense of growth through time - thus “Un-liberating”! True Liberation does not come with practices or theories. Liberation survives only by de-evolving everything contributing to the essence of liberation.
Putting things into perspective helps – just for example - today’s fad of everyone around democracy; without realizing that in 3524 AD world would be crazy about some other cult word “helunderought” to keep themselves occupied and busy with new philosophies, theories, writings, debates and discussions.
Just because one is able to talk, speak and write with conviction does not make the content interesting or true. Through this review anyone’s quest of knowledge should be to not take authority, reputation and higher knowledge base as something neoteric.
Yes, good to read books - it is part of understanding what humans are able to put forward in terms of a thoughts. Not necessary that human thought is un/helping the earth to move faster or slower, or a marine creature to be born or die; or the sun to rise and set.
I would like to end this by saying:
Which pedagogy of education
the seeds
went through
to become flowers?
Flowers –
full of color,
fragrance
and continuously
liberated
throughout
their journey of life?
(Words 993)
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