In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the radical Brazilian educator Paulo Freire outlines a theory of transformative pedagogy that is, and cannot be separated from, a theory of revolution. Written in ’68, the book – rooted in Marxist humanism – represents a masterful critique of structural oppression. For present-day scholars, it is a compelling invitation to reflect on research ethics and how to democratize knowledge production. In the book, Freire unmasks the elitist and patronizing attitudes of both traditional academics and a certain type of left.
In this two-part reading group series, Alberto Fierro very ably helped us to engage with Pedagogy of the Oppressed as one of the most fascinating accounts of how research and education can serve the objectives of social transformation.
About our fellow traveller
Alberto Fierro is a Ph.D. candidate at the Central European University’s Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations. Since 2018, he has collaborated with the Brazilian social movement MTST – Movimento dos Trabalhadores sem Teto (Homeless Workers’ Movement). Alberto’s autoethnographic dissertation focuses on militant and participatory approaches to research. He has published with Millennium: Journal of International Studies and International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society.