Ethnographic Contextualization of Freire's Discourse: Consciousness‐raising, Theory and Practice

Abstract

This essay integrates the results of a formalist discourse analysis of Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed with field observations of Freire's consciousness-raising programs in Lafin America. The discourse analysis identifies some of the salient features of Freire's discursive construction of knowledge. Freire's "rehurnanizing" discourse is shown to be both a means and an end in itself; for Freire, rehumanization is revolution. The field research documents the practice of Freire's rehumanizing discourse within consciousness-raising programs in both revolutionary and prerevolutionary societies. The field observations partly confirm and partly disconfirm the results of the discourse analysis: users of Freire's discourse, it appears, sometimes "read into" Freire's text a revolutionary practice that is not really there. This suggests an important discrepancy between, on the one hand, the constraints built into a discourse and discoverable through textual analysis and, on the other hand, the reconstruction and use of that discourse within particular "interpretive communities. " CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING, ETHNOGRAPHIC C O N -TEXT, ANALYSIS OF FREIRE'S DISCOURSEThis study treats Paolo $reire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) as a "discursive event" or "founding text" (Foucault 1972:199-200) through which the discursive practices of consciousness-raising manifest themselves. To undertake a discourse analysis of a text by an educational thinker like Freire implies a reorientation of educational research in line with the new agendas in the social sciences. The social sciences have turned in recent years to problems of method, epistemology, interpretation, and discursive forms of analysis. Beginning with the discipline of history (see Foucault 1970Foucault , 1972White 1973), this "rhetorical turn" has spread to sociology (Brown 1977(Brown ,1987, economics (McCloskey 1985), organizational theory (Morgan 1985), and especially anthropology. The rhetorical turn in anthropology has already produced a substantial body of work aimed at raising anthropologists' consciousness about their own textual modes of operation

Assistencialism and the Politics of High-Stakes Testing

“…Using Freire's (1970) concept of conscientizac¸ao (social consciousness), I put forth an alternative view of accountability that rehumanizes the concept and allows local communities the opportunity to see themselves as active participants in society, committed to social change. I advocate for a Freirian accountability model enabling students access to problem-posing education and the use of their knowledge and reality in a dialogue that reflects on their social location and ability to transform their world (Gottlieb and La Belle, 1990). By looking at accountability through an anti-assistencialist lens, and by implementing programs of cultural immersion for educators at the (1) classroom, (2) local community, and (3) trans/cultural or transnational community level, the current oppressive understanding of high-stakes testing accountability can change to become transformative.…”

From a normative discourse to contextualised practices: a case study of a human rights-based approach in Bangladesh

“…In reality, the NGO label, which is earned from self-representation, does not capture its complicated and often contested practices (Hilhorst, 2003). For example, tensions are discernible between right-oriented principles and strategies for survival or scaling-up, and between transformative changes and adherence to the current system (Gottlieb & Belle, 1990;Lindenberg & Bryant, 2001). In order to advance the debate beyond the assumed fit or the observed misfit between a HRBA and NGOs, the complex contexts of an NGO should be considered to understand what led the decision to adopt a HRBA and how the NGO deals with challenges of aligning itself with a HRBA.…”

“…In development practices, a contradiction between a purist approach and a strategic approach is not new. In other studies, taking a strategic approach is mostly described as a self-limiting choice to avoid challenges (Gottlieb & Belle, 1990) or a compromise between ideals and reality (Plipat, 2005). However, this research suggests it is the result of negotiation with contexts.…”

Exploring Casma Valley geographical kinship: Mapping the landscape of identity.

“…Popular Education emulates to some degree, Liberation Theology which is disseminated from the Jesuits centers. The Jesuits actively worked in social programs that served as an inspiration (theoretically and practically) to Popular Education (Gottlieb & La Belle, 1990). In this regard, "'popular education aims to alter the balance of power in capitalist societies through economic and political action that typically fall to violent armed struggle" (Marques as cited in Gottlieb & La Belle, 1990, p. 14).…”

“…Indeed, Gomez (as cited in Gottlieb & La Belle, 1990) states that the impacts of consciousnessraising are positive in the formation of the individuals, but does not result in improving farmers or marginalized groups' living condition. Although this may be true, Gottlieb & La Belle (1990) in Latin America and the Caribbean corroborate that consciousness-raising should be viewed as a means for understanding the mechanisms of oppression and for exploring alternatives to achieve social equity, fairness and justice. Bonifacion Copara from the community of Huito, Pitumarca, Cuzco as cited in Rengifo (2005) states:…”