Freire: Transformation from Domination to Liberation

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire touches upon two different forms of education: the banking concept and problem-posing. In doing so, he unearths a concept that is deeper than education itself. He states, “Indeed, the interests of the oppressors lie in ‘changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation which oppresses them’; for the more the oppressed can be led to adapt to that situation, the more they can be easily dominated” (Freire 4). This statement can be applied to the banking concept of education. However, Freire is underlining more important social issues. The banking concept of education is simply a microcosm for how oppressive society operates.

In the chapter, Freire is not attacking education, but he is simply using education to get across a bigger point. The teachers represent the oppressors. On a global level, oppressors may be dictators, governments, or any type of corrupt leader. Their interest, according to Freire, is to “change the consciousness of the oppressed”, or to shape the way they think and understand the world. The oppressed people, represented by the students (in the banking concept), are then forced to adapt to this world. As long as the oppressor does not change the situation which oppresses them, the more control the oppressor has over the oppressed. The banking concept of education suggests that harmful classrooms work in a similar manner.

Freire is not addressing a specific country, but he does mention a precise problem that is common to a wide variety of societies. Freire comments of welfare, “…the oppressors use the banking concept of education in conjunction with a paternalistic social action apparatus, within which the oppressed receive the euphemistic title of ‘welfare recipients’” (4). In this case, the oppressor is the governing body. The banking concept, or the process of keeping the oppressed without conscious, is utilized to make the poor seem like their being helped. This is where the “paternalistic social action apparatus” is applied. This concept is used to make it seem like the government is performing a social action that helps the unfortunate. The word “paternalistic” suggests that this social action is a caring and loving deed, something a parent would do for their child. “Welfare recipients” is a euphemistic title because it is not as harsh as words like “oppressed” and “poor”.

In reality, the poor are being marginalized from society. They are labeled and seen as something outside of normal society. Freire suggests that welfare is not a sufficient way to help the poor. He offers a solution, “The solution is not to ‘integrate’ them into the structure of oppression, but to transform that structure so that they can become ‘beings for themselves’” (5). “The structure of oppression” is the cycle which the poor are born into. Through the banking concept of education, they are not conscious of the world which surrounds them, they can only adapt to it. Freire suggest that this structure must be transformed, or changed. In turn, the oppressed will “become beings for themselves”, not people labeled for a specific society. They will become humans which look within themselves to find a deeper, more conscious meaning to life.

Following this transformation, the oppressed will begin to question their oppressive state. This questioning leads right back to problem-posing education, the exact opposite of the banking concept. All scholars understand what problem-posing education is, but Freire’s explanation goes deeper than simply asking questions. In relation to the domination concept used in oppressive societies, problem-posing is the way that these societies are transformed through praxis (9). Through this transformation, the poor and oppressed become liberated. As Freire states, “liberation is a praxis” (9). He defines praxis as “…the action and reflection of men and women upon their world in order to transform it” (9). Therefore, men and women who are trapped in an oppressive society can break free from this domination by using praxis. In praxis, one must think critically about the situation they are in (reflection), and then follow up by setting though into motion (action). To do so, the oppressed must be taught, through