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Paulo Freire was an educator and philosopher from Brazil. His work throughout his life had an evident interest in the education system with some of his original works being in adult literacy. Cultural Action for Freedom by Paulo Freire is a series of two articles that Freire wrote in 1970 and which appeared in the Harvard Educational Review. The two articles discuss much of Freire’s original ideas relating to education and human rights. Adult literacy and education in Freire’s view is far more than a simple combining of techniques and ideas but instead a more advanced area of knowing and understanding that has countless benefits. These benefits being not only to the individual but to the surrounding community and the economy that surrounds the individual. Without education there is little area for growth and improvement. Paulo Freire understood this and chose to express it further in a series of theories that this piece of writing will explore. This piece of writing will also look at and consider the context of Cultural Action for Freedom, it will also briefly consider Freire’s history and what led to these ideas. Ultimately by combining these two ideas, the exploration of the importance of adult literacy and education will be the forefront of this article.

Annotated Bibliography:

Some thoughts concerning education – John Locke

Locke, J., 1970. Some thoughts concerning education, 1693. Scolar Press.

This book is based on what is referred to as the education of gentleman. The idea that of education of the man should be done through the development of health, body, appropriate academic curriculum, and the formation of a virtuous character is the main basis of the argument throughout. As evidence of this claim the author argues for the notion of a man’s brain being a blank slate at first without ideas that therefore needed to be filled. The key concepts of this are through Locke’s theory of the mind by this the author comments ‘a mans mind directs not wisely, will never take the right way’ (Locke, 1970). A strength of this argument is that the consideration of continuingly fillings one’s brain with knowledge and new learning leaves little doubt of the importance of education. Limitations of this argument do include that it is majority based on the education of men and not all genders, being from 1693 however, there is little surprise here. Reading parts of this book has allowed me to consider one of the earlier assessments of adult literacy and education while considering the impact this may have had on Paulo Freire and his works.

Philosophical foundations of adult education – JL Elias, SB Merriam, FL Malabar – 2005

Elias, J.L. and Merriam, S.B., 2005. Philosophical foundations of adult education. Malabar, FL.

This paper considers the notion of more than one area being key in the education process. These authors suggest that the role of the educator is just as important as the role of the student. The student must be just as invested as the educator to reap the benefits that can be brought from education and learning. Considering this claim the authors consider seven different perspectives that can or have influenced adult education. The key ideas here acknowledge philosophical reasonings behind the accumulation of adult education. A strength of this argument is that it is filling a more extensive area of adult education with reasoning for how to better it or the process needed to accumulate it. A weakness of this argument is that it does not completely consider those who the book is aimed at and sometimes appears to overcomplicate some areas. Reading this summary of this article has allowed for a different perspective of education that involves philosophical perspectives, this also includes some of Freire’s work and linking of ideas.

Final Draft

Cultural Action for Freedom:

Cultural Action for freedom is a 1970s piece of written by the Brazilian philosopher Paulo Freire. The book complies of two articles published separately in the journal of 'the Harvard Educational Review'. Despite this most noted publication, according to original publications both texts are part of only one essay. Following this further publication of a singular book occurred in 2000.

Author - Cultural Action for Freedom - Paulo Freire

In his book Cultural Action for Freedom Freire outlines his views surrounding education, specifically that of options and oppurtunities education can give to man. Cultural Action for Freedom explains how education is the "means of learning of the significance to then know how to memorize it" . Paulo Freire aims his focus on education as a tool of knowledge to breach ideas of understandings of oneself alongside the world. In place of the understanding simply of the existence of the world and oneself separate matters. Matters of education as an act of knowing, critical consciousness, and the pedagogy of education are all approached in Cultural Action for freedom.

Specifically Cultural Action for Freedom focuses on the means of adult education and the expansion of adult minds across cultures and class. Links including education and human rights; the benefits of quality education for the oppressed; understanding history in relevance to new ideas; and economic and personal benefits of education are all introduced and expanded upon by Freire.

Background and context of the author

Paulo Freire (1921-1997) was a Brazilian Philosopher. One of the most prominent educators of the 20th century, much of Freire's work is implemented in contemporary education systems. Notably, Paulo Freire spent a brief period teaching as a schoolteacher between 1943 and 1946. Further to this, in 1946 Freire was appointed as director of education and culture in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Outside of classroom and school-based teaching Freire could begin to project educational ideas towards more mature persons. One focus of this period was the initiation of a education program for sugar cane workers. The program aimed to teach the workers to read and write in under forty-five days. This program was to be made available across the entirety of Brazil. It is important to note that the Brazilian dictatorship which spanned a 21 year period had also begun around the same time. This military dictatorship held strongly that all voters should have adequate literacy ability. This meant at the time of initial release Paulo Freire's program was very politically influential due to the need of literacy ability to be able to vote. Paulo Freire's aim surrounded the eradication of illiteracy and thus alongside this eradication the reduction of this type of oppression. While at first the literacy project had support it was soon "seen as serious threats to a status quo that rested on vast inequalities of wealth and power". Resulting in Paulo Freire's arrest and subsequent exile from Brazil.

At the beginning of exile, Paulo Freire initially went to Chile. It is noted that his theories about education were still relevant in Brazil as "copies of his seminal book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, were smuggled into Brazil". Sixteen years of exile resulted in a temporary visiting position at Harvard for a year. Freire was also granted the role of educational advisor to the World Council of Churches during his exile. Paulo Freire returned to Brazil in 1980, sixteen years after his exile. Upon returning to Brazil, Freire "taught at the University of São Paulo and served as the Minister of Education for the City of São Paulo" . Freire Paulo later died of heart failure in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 1997.

Understanding Cultural Action for Freedom

The book Cultural Action for Freedom is split into two complementary sections. This allows for pragmatic insight to Freire's understanding of education and the means and methods surrounding the adult literacy process.

The first part of the book 'The Adult Literacy Process as Cultural Action for Freedom', focuses predominately on education and the process of dialogue between the teacher and the learner. Alongside this process the importance of knowledge in terms of awareness and reflection of oneself and man's ability to reflect on the world is also discussed. Freire's concept of teacher and learner holds specific emphasis on human interaction and encounters. Communication is of course fundamental to all education processes. Communication between the teacher and the learner, however, should not be predominately one sided according to Freire. The teacher must be willing to learn as much from the student as the student learns from the teacher to reach optimum communication and dialogue. These techniques as described by Freire were not common teaching practices at the time of his writing. Freire critiqued the current adult education techniques he was witnessing at the time, through a slightly Marxist lens noting "only someone with a mechanic mentality... could reduce adult literacy learning to a purely technical action" .

Paulo Freire’s critique of education was a critique of a long-used process of education. Many educators worldwide have continued to utilize the process of memorization as the more effective education technique. Often these techniques are seen in modern education processes as 'human learning and memory processes, with critical implications for educational contexts' Memory is used to pass modern exams for students. Freire believes the process of experience and understanding is the best use of learning and teaching of literacy in adults. Ultimately leading towards education as a form of freedom for the individual. Simply put, education done for the benefit of an individual’s outlook of the process of education and the world surrounding them.

The second part of the book titled 'Cultural Action and Conscientization'. This part focuses on zooming into the process of understanding conscientization. Conscientization is the consciousness and critical consciousness of a person. Within this part of the book Freire initially compares animals with man observing the different roles they hold within the world. Freire concludes from this comparison that man 'exists in and within the world' whereas 'animals are simply in the world'. As man can work, build, reflect, and change the surrounding world around them, their position in the world has a different relationship than that of animals and the world. Specific focus on the ability of man to reflect links to concepts of transformation including transformation of the surrounding world. Through history humanity has made drastic changes to the world around. These changes have been more drastic than any other specifies before and will likely be more than any after it. Conversations of academics with Paulo Freire have resulted in considerations of "the intellectual condition and its specific functions, the importance to think in and for the revolutionary process". Freire urges for the reflection and understanding of these changes in his adult literacy process. Further to this reflection Freire encourages the reflection to be learnt from in relation to moving forward with different changes for cultural freedom in education so as "to ensure the mishaps of the past are not repeated".

Breakdown of Ideas within Cultural Action for Freedom

Paulo Freire's ideas on education within Cultural Action for Freedom can be considered around five key areas of interest. The key areas of interest are: dialogue, praxis (action/intervention), generative themes, conscientization and pedagogy. Freire believed that approaching a student with the open mindset of being willing to learn from them as much as teach is a key part of the methodological process. This belief of Freire's falls into the key areas of interest alongside other ideas and fundamentals to the adult education process.

Dialogue

Dialogue is the process of communication between people. Alongside expressions and movements dialogue is one of the primary forms of communication used by an individual. It is also a fundamental part of the education process in all areas. Language boundaries and differences are sometimes a challenge surrounding dialogue when used in education. Dialogue can be considered more beneficial than other techniques when it comes to education. Written work or "the language of text usually involve much more low frequency vocabulary, complex grammatical structures, and greater demands on memory". Freire considers the confrontational impacts that dialogue can present with because of the human condition in certain settings. Nonetheless, Paulo Freire still credits dialogue with being part of the process that contributes to the process of the generation of critical thought.

Praxis

Praxis describes the realization by a person of ideas, theories, and concepts. Praxis has notions to the mind and to education as "where theory seeks to connect cause and effect in the mind, praxis endeavors to link means and ends in the real work" . The act of knowing as understood by Paulo Freire is one of the primary areas linked to the process of praxis. The act of knowing "includes a dialectal movement from action to idea and from thinking on action to new action". The already mentioned dialogue links to praxis. Freire considers dialogue and praxis together not separately in the process of education. Understanding that the need for action of an individual to their surrounding environment alongside implications of dialogue in Freire's view can lead to better educational progress in the adult literacy process.

Generative themes

Generative themes acknowledge the interactions between themes and ideas. While these interactions are occurring each theme alongside a dialectical interaction interacts with their assumed opposite themes. The concept of Paulo Freire's take of generative themes in a community environment discusses "the belief that people themselves are best placed to know what their problems are and, with the right support, can develop the most appropriate solutions to their problems". Impositions of external cultures or other foreign or unknown factors into communities that are worked with based on generative themes is considered to disempower them. A community or individual can deal with problems without outside foreign input. Freire notes that most important of generative themes is to "respect the particular view of the world held by the people".

Conscientization

The reflection and action of willingness to understand ones consciousness and thus the critical consciousness describes the act of conscientization. Considering critical theory "conscientization is the liberating process of consciousness-mobilization that enables critical thinking about how we live and how the world we live in is ordered". As Freire discusses in Cultural Action for Freedom "an act of knowing through which a person can analyze critically the culture which has shaped him and to move toward reflection and positive action upon his world". The willingness to learn to reflection embodies the adult literacy process through Paulo Freire's act of knowing thus linking to the concept of the critical consciousness.

Pedagogy

Pedagogy describes part of the method and practice of teaching with considerations to social, political, and psychological development. Alongside these considerations of these developments, their influences are also considered in pedagogy. Freire was a huge advocate of the areas of critical pedagogy that related to the process and the understanding of adult education. Pedagogy in relation to education suggests concepts of there being no specifically neutral education process. To undergo an education experience cannot be identical continuously for all. Understanding of Paulo Freire's work leads to conclusions that "pedagogy is not a method or an a priori technique to be imposed on all students but a political and moral practice that provides the knowledge, skills, and social relations that enable students to explore the possibilities" .Much of Freire's work was oriented towards people who were disadvantaged and oppressed. Freire aimed to challenge those he educated to consider their surrounding power structures and patterns of inequality under critical pedagogy. Again, exemplifying education not being just a means of knowing but also of understanding especially in its relations to education for cultural freedom.

Influence of Liberation theory on Cultural Action for Freedom

Liberation theory describes the aims to "create viable alternatives to growth economics, ecological degradation, and social inequality" . Originally a Latin American movement established by the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council - a Roman Catholic council (1962-1965). But since the 1960s many different theories of Liberation have arisen. Paulo Freire was a follower of Christianity but also had sympathy towards Marxist theories. Marx had famously proclaimed "religion to be the opium of people" . Liberation theory instead chooses "commitment to the life, cause, and the struggle of these millions of debased and marginalized human beings" . The differences between the two concepts are clear. Influences from both liberation theory and Marxism is witnessed in Freire Paulo's work and Cultural Action for Freedom. Where Liberation theories relations and impacts come into pedagogy is perceived in Freire's "clear focus on the twin task of teaching literacy and social analysis". The example of sugar cane workers as mentioned briefly is just one illustration of Paulo Freire's targeting of oppression alongside education as a means for adult literacy for cultural freedom.

The challenge of educating the oppressed through notions of pedagogy and other aspects was not lost on Freire. He understood the implications of opportunity cost for many of the communities he presented educational theories towards. More time committed to adult education and learning meant less time earning much needed money. Paulo Freire chose instead to focus on education manners that did not appear to hinder them. For example, "the oppressed could learn to read provided the reading was not imposed upon them in an authoritarian manner and that their process of reading validated their own lived experiences". Moreover, Paulo Freire's ideas of Praxis as mentioned in Cultural Action for Freedom "brings both conceptions of time into the narrative fabric of the emergent self". Correlations of ideas within Cultural Action for Freedom and concepts from Liberation theory are important to consider as understandings of social implications of Freire's work lead to further understanding of his adult literacy educational processes.

The Influence of Marx

Marxism

Karl Marx

Historical Marxist critiques of society can be seen in areas of Freire's works, especially that surrounding pedagogy an idea mentioned in Cultural Action for Freedom. Although the "critical Marxist tradition" is more relevant to Freire's works than "revolutionary Marxist tradition".Key links are seen in many of Marxism's central arguments specifically based around philosophy, political economy and political practice. Specifically, the "Marxist-humanist element" seen in the "underscores of the significance of ideology and consciousness and praxis as the dialectical unity between thought and action". While some clear influences and similarities exist between Marxism and Paulo Freire. It is also relevant to note the differences. While it is clear both Karl Marx and Paulo Freire's goals surrounding development were similar on the alleviation of oppression. They had different methods of reaching this goal, "Marx placed more emphasis on social structure" while "Freire also emphasized the significance of individual cognition".

Contemporary critiques of Freire

Feminist critique

Modern feminist critiques have much to say about who Freire's educational ideas address. Paulo Freire focuses specifically on oppression relating to social class, man, and rankings. Freire is critiqued for his potential ignorance towards other genders and racial oppression surrounding education, pedagogy and liberation theories. It has been noted that "there has never been a moment when reading Freire that I have not remained aware of the sexism of the language" . Following this, there is consistent evidence "where patriarchal manhood are always linked as though they are one and the same". There is no avoiding the constant mentioning of man in Freire's work as opposed to mentions of people, women or other descriptions. One important thing to note despite this critique is the works of Freire were always open to interpretation and criticism. Many feminists' critiques do acknowledge this alongside the criticism of Freire's lack of association with any other than man. Despite this "there is a generous spirit, and quality of openmindness" deemed relevant within his work.

Critique of Language

Critiques of Freire's work has also been centered around language and its uses in education as well as the classroom. The style of language within Paulo Freire's work has been contemplated as "being difficult, pompous, snobbish, elitist, convulted, arrogant, and metaphysical" . For a scholar who has aimed their education programs specifically at the underdeveloped and the oppressed. Critiques of language bring forward questions surrounding implementations of Freire's ideas based in education programs. Concerns of being able to enforce notions of Paulo Freire have been "raised by many adult educators as Freire does not provide them with concrete ideas to implement in the classroom", "they regret that he does not present a specific method for teaching adults how to read and write" . Practical critique of methods of Freire bring forward notions of required examination of techniques to be able to broach the lessons of Paulo Freire in modern adult classrooms.

Further Reading

• The Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Paulo Freire
• Freire and the Body - Antonia Darder

See also

• Karl Marx
• Liberation theology
• Brazilian military dictatorship
• Adult education

Bibliography

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• Boff, L., 1987. Introducing liberation theology. Orbis Books.
• Cummins, J., 2004. Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire (Bilingual Education and Bilingualism). Multilingual Matters.
• Darder, A., 2017. Reinventing Paulo Freire: A pedagogy of love. Routledge.
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• Freire, P., 1983. The importance of the act of reading. Journal of education, 165(1), pp.5-11.
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