Pedagogy of the Oppressed

In Chapter 3, Freire elaborates his concept of problem-posing education. He outlines its theoretical framework and describes how it should be implemented among impoverished people. Freire’s guiding belief is that the oppressed must help create the content of problem-posing education with their teachers; they “must be their own example in the struggle for their redemption” (54).

To create a pedagogy with—not simply for—the oppressed, dialogue between the teacher/student and student/teachers is absolutely crucial. Freire contends that it is through dialogue that humans name the world, and in that naming, transform the world: “To exist, humanly, is to name the world, to change it . . . Dialogue is the encounter between men, mediated by the world, in order to name the world . . . [and] is thus an existential necessity” (88). Dialogue, Freire believes, is essential to fulfill our vocation of becoming more fully human.

Freire identifies six conditions, or elements, of authentic dialogue. Love “for the world and for people” is necessary. Love generates commitment to the oppressed in the cause of their liberation and is a pre-requisite for establishing a dialogical relationship with them. Humility is also essential; dialogue is incompatible with an elitist attitude and defensiveness on the part of the teacher.