Critical Reflection 3 — Freedom to Change
In our reading of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire discusses the solution towards the described “culture of silence”. Freire observed far too many people were ignorant and submissive towards their current economic, social, and political circumstances. Rather than being provided the necessary resources to understand and respond to the concrete realities of their world, “they were kept “submerged” in a situation in which such critical awareness and response were practically impossible” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Foreword, para. 4). But no matter how ignorant or silent one is, we all have the capability to observe the world critically. When provided the right tools, we can begin to piece together the contradictions within our personal and social realities, become conscious of our own perceptions, and understand what further actions need to be taken.
This dehumanization creates a distortion which prevents the individual who had their humanity taken — as well as those who have stolen humanity — from becoming, in a sense, fully human. Centuries of internalized oppression have led to our struggle for humanization: For the “emancipation of labor, the overcoming of alienation, and for the affirmation of men and women as people” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed). The goal is simple enough, but it is a journey as we struggle against those who caused the initial distortion of our humanity. But as we pursue our efforts to undergo humanization, we must remember that we cannot reach our goal by merely reversing poles in which the roles of oppressor and oppressed are switched. The greatest task for the oppressed is to liberate themselves as well as their oppressors. Freire argues that the oppressors themselves do not have the power to liberate the oppressed or themselves; only the oppressed have the power to know, understand, and free both parties.
“Who are better prepared than the oppressed to understand the terrible significance of an oppressive society? Who suffer the effects of oppression more than the oppressed? Who can better understand the necessity of liberation? They will not gain this liberation by chance but through the praxis of their quest for it, through their recognition of the necessity to fight for it. And this fight, because of the purpose given it by the oppressed, will actually constitute an act of love opposing the lovelessness which lies at the heart of the oppressors violence, lovelessness even when clothed in false generosity” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Chapter 1, para. 7).
But during the first stages of the fight, the oppressed are in a way “sub-oppressors”. When everything you’ve ever known is toxic, then toxic is what you believe the world is supposed to be. While this does not mean that the oppressed are unaware of the systemic imbalances that affect them, the perception that this is how it has always been done creates an air of submersion. Freire argues the those who are oppressed have internalized how things have always been, adopted the guidelines of our oppressors, and are now fearful of freedom. With freedom comes more responsibility. With freedom comes the unknown. But with freedom comes human completion.
In order to find liberation, we must first critically recognize its causes. Although this is a situation which affects both the oppressors and the oppressed, it is the latter who must overcome their apathy and begin the struggle to better the faulted. “The oppressor, who is himself dehumanized because he dehumanizes others, is unable to lead this struggle” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, para. 13). But the issue is that those who have been oppressed have been so for so long that they are now resigned to it. When this is the way things have been for so long, the helplessness and hopelessness generate an overbearing sense of apathy. The struggle for change threatens both the benefiting oppressor as well as others who are similarly oppressed and fearful of further repression. There is a comfort in security and conformity. But we do not become whole merely by being comfortable. Without freedom, nothing is authentic. It is through this internalization of oppressive consciousness and fear of action that the oppressed become the oppressors as well.
“The conflict lies in the choice between being wholly themselves or being divided; between ejecting the oppressor within or not ejecting them; between human solidarity or alienation; between following prescriptions or having choices; between being spectators or actors; between acting or having the illusion of acting through the action of the oppressors; between speaking out or being silent, castrate in their power to create and re-create, in their power to transform the world. This is the tragic dilemma of the oppressed which their education must take into account” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Chapter 1, para. 15).
Only once we understand ourselves to be enablers to oppression can we begin to take the necessary steps toward liberation — the humanization of all people; the process of achieving freedom. While this is a difficult and limited situation, it is one in which we can transform. The understanding that all hope is not lost is the motivating force behind liberating action. To achieve this goal, we must become practitioners of critical thinking. That is, critical intervention in response to objective perception. Those who are engaged in the fight for their own liberation and full human beings must understand that this is where they must begin.
“It is only when the oppressed find the oppressor out and become involved in the organized struggle for their liberation that they begin to believe in themselves. This discovery cannot be purely intellectual but must involve action; nor can it be limited to mere activism, but must include serious reflection: only then will it be a praxis” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Chapter 1, para. 63).
This critical reflection is not insistence that we stand by and merely let the world pass by as we observe. Rather, true reflection leads to action. It if through true reflection that we truly understand the depths and formulate a plan towards pure activism. In the end, our stances either facilitate conformity to the logic of our present system, or it encourages the practice of freedom. Freire believed that peoples’ languages and knowledge were the essence of their experiences and world given the form of their words, and deserved to be cherished. So when their words are not appreciated, what does that make of them and their world? Understanding the world first and how our words emerge were central themes in his thinking and how he developed his approach to teaching literacy so that people would have critical consciousness and understanding of the larger structures that impacted their lives. When given the chance to respond critically and creatively to reality, we are given the power to discover ways to participate and transform our world.
Action is fundamental because it is the process of changing reality. Freire makes it clear that without practice there is no knowledge. In our critical responses, we will need to understand the theories behind our practices before applying them to the field. But practice is its own subject. First comes understanding theory, then active practice in the community, and from that active participation fosters knowledge and understanding. Once there is an understanding of how the structures of society work, we use the authentic knowledge we accumulate from our experiences to go beyond the common-sense understanding of how things work and where we can go from there.
“Knowledge always is becoming. That is, if the act of knowing has historicity, then today’s knowledge about something is not necessarily the same tomorrow. Knowledge is changed to the extent that reality also moves and changes. Then theory also does the same. It’s not something stabilized, immobilized” (We Make the Road by Walking, 1990, p. 101).
This is one reason why I am very excited to work with my community partner this semester. This semester in the nursing program feels like the best time now more than ever to experience working at a syringe exchange clinic. I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk very often to the clients who come in, but I’m ready to ask questions. It took me a while to develop the confidence to talk, but I’m ready now to learn from the clinic and understand what it is they’re fighting for. Above all, I’m ready to practice empathy towards the people I work with in order to accumulate this type of authentic knowledge. As different as I may feel, I will always understand feeling helpless in a situation where I can’t find or have access to the things I need. And though it’s not much, it’s enough of a connection for me to understand the importance of resources such as The Spahr Center.
