CR#2 Being Neutral Is Like Being Dead
Freire’s explanation between the relationships of practice, theory, and knowledge is unique. These three relationships are all attributes to the way of life and how our thinking process is connected. Myles describes knowledge as language as organic knowledge which is an example of how knowledge can be significant to practicing, and theory because it is how knowledge can be applied. As we connect these three relationships to our social community issues and the social system we will find that our daily experiences are applied with knowledge, physically lived out through practice, and life values lived out through theory.
To Freire and Horton, neutrality is problematic. Horton’s thinking towards neutrality problematic as he defines neutrality as “going with the crowd” I take that as going with the flow and not staying up for what is right when it comes to social change. He explains that Neutrality is being what the system ask you to be which in my eye’s mean the system doesn’t want the people to have a voice and to stand up for oppression, they want these social issues of social violence to stay how it is. Freire finds neutrality problematic because he believes neutrality is the kind of relationship that seems to only work for the dominant. The dominant is basically the oppressors those who are not oppressed.
Without a doubt Horton believes that the position of neutrality within our existing social system is affecting our lives and the larger democratic process because we all have a right to believe what we want and if we don’t share our idea’s with others and go along with the norms or the neutrality then we are not free in-fact we are trapped within our own thoughts. Horton explains if we are teachers we must teach every element of the subject from the heart and with passion and not hold back. He believes that a teacher must put what ever they are teaching into social context. Having a social context is having a social impact on the world and the next generation on subjects in school that the system don’t want children or students to be exposed to. Freire also argues that there is a technique to education and teaching and if we follow that technique there really is neutrality in the way we teach which can be problematic because their isn’t any variety or freedom in the educational system. Which in reality isn’t good for the youth because they are being limited to their education and knowledge which can enable one from blossoming into the scholar or individual because of neutrality in the educational systems.
Freire and Horton have illustrated and gave examples of stories/backgrounds that shaped their passion for social justice. A personal experiences that has shaped my passions and desire to engage with others, and work with communities is my hardships growing up living in low-income housing with all odds against me trying to be a successful young woman. I have passion in my heart for my community and for the love of community in a whole because my community is one of a kind that has fought for our housing rights as a African American community since day one after WWII. Still to this day my community is facing hardships and threats trying to displace and erase the history and family ties in my community. I have great faith that this class and engaging with community might enhance and inform me with ways to go about change in my community. This class will give me the knowledge to use while I keep my communities history alive and continue to fight at meeting regarding gentrification and equity. Being the fourth African American generation of Marin City Ca having to witness gentrification happen in my community, while my people the same folks that were here since day one struggle with homelessness, hungry, and most of all oppression makes me passionate about change and not being neautral to the society norms. Witnessing struggle with no kind of support nor opportunites, witnessing displacement from families and a place where home is no longer considered home anymore. Rather be dead than being neutral to the societies norms.
