This book is an analytic and critical treatment of Paulo Freire's philosophy. Its two central theses are that Freire's thought is best understood as that of an educational practitioner and theorist ...and that the most fruitful interpretation of Freire comes from understanding him as a Catholic thinker. Chapter 1 situates Freire's lifelong work in Latin America and Africa. Chapter 2 presents a brief description of his now famous method of conscientization, the theoretical and practical center of his work. Chapter 3 explores the eclecticism of Freire's writings. Freire's philosophy of persons, society, knowledge, and political change are seen as closely related to his educational interests in the discussions presented in Chapters 4-7. Chapters 8 and 9 highlight his educational theories; the first details his criticisms of banking education (the view that knowledge is "deposited" in the minds of students by teachers); the other presents the constructive elements of his educational theory. The final chapter makes the case that Freire's work can rightly be considered as an integral part of the theology of liberation that prevails in many less developed nations. Appendixes include 65 references and indexes of names and subjects. (YLB)
Paulo Freire Peter Leonard, Peter McLaren / Peter Leonard, Peter McLaren
1996, 1993, 20021101, 2002, 1992, 2002-11-01
eBook, Book
Paulo Freire is one of the century's great thinkers on education and the politics of liberation. Known mostly for his literacy campaigns in Latin America and Africa, and for his seminal work Pedagogy ...of the Oppressed, his thinking continues to be rediscovered by generations of teachers, scholars, community activists and cultural workers in Europe and North America. While his name is synonymous with the practice of Critical Literacy' and A Pedagogy of Liberation', his work has been appropiated in many diverse fields of discipline and site-based projects of social reform. This volume represents a pathfinding analysis of Freires work and in many cases it offers an extension of his thinking in order to make it more applicable to first world contexts. Peter McLaren and Peter Leonard have brought together a divergent group of scholars widely recognized for their contributions to critical theory and critical pedagogy. Themes addressed include Freier's relation to feminist critique, his philosophical roots and an evaluation of his ideas from postmodernist and postcolonialist perspectives. The collection will be essential reading for anyone interested in the radical sociology of education and the politics of liberation.
