"...almost always, during the initial state of the struggle, the oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors, or 'sub-oppressors.' The very structure of their thought has been conditioned by the contradictions of the concrete, existential situation by which they were shaped. Their ideal is to be men; but for them, to be men is to be oppressors. This is their model of humanity" - Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (chapter 1)
As teachers in a culture that prioritizes college success as a means for professional success, as a means for financial success, what messages are we sending our students in terms of reaching their full humanity or actual liberation? Are we just cogs in a system that oppresses, even in our worlds of education? How can we educate to actually liberate?
No comments:
Post a Comment