Friday, October 4, 2013

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Chapter 1



Throughout chapter one, Freire focuses on the concept of humanization and dehumanization and the “oppressor” versus the “oppressed.” He claims those being oppressed are the only ones that can rise up and change their situation but in order for them to do so and remain humanized, they must rise above without oppressing their oppressors. I think.
Reflecting back to what I know, I see the Nazis and the Jewish people during the Holocaust creating the circle of oppression. The Jews during the Holocaust were oppressed because of their religion. The dehumanization of Nazis occurred because of their role as oppressors.  I would assume Freire would encourage the Jews to rise up against the Nazis, but do so in a non-oppressing way. The difficulties in Freire’s suggestion would be that all the Jews have ever known is oppression so how will they know how to rise about without oppressing their oppressors when that is all they have ever known? Wow, that got interesting.
What is also interesting, confusing, mindboggling to think about is what the oppressed think about. Do they know they can rise up? Do they know how to strive through their circumstances? Is there actually more out there or is this the best I’ve got? I think the only reason I challenge things is because I was brought up to challenge everything (almost to a fault). Anyways, this might have been to deep of a reading for me and Friday.
  

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