Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy for critical consciousness and practice

Participatory action research: An exploration from a Freirean perspective of research involving people with dementia

“…Dialogue is central to the critical praxis that is Freire‐informed PAR, 16,31 not only in the obvious sense of giving voice to those who may be oppressed, but also in the dialogical manner that ideas and understandings can be explored. Importantly, Freire believed that his ideas and perspectives should be constantly reinvented and adjusted, depending on the context 32 .…”

“…This process, also known as conscientization, is transformative in nature because people start to become aware that they have the power to challenge regular social practices that have been taken for granted and are entrenched within the social order. 30,31 At its core, this transformation involves a praxis of reflection and action, 15 whereby identifying, discussing and understanding the source of oppression can lead to beginning the process of liberation from the structures and practices that are oppressing and dehumanizing in the first place. 32 Freire's ideas about empowerment and change stem from his early background as a teacher.…”

“…It is through the process of naming discriminatory practices that those impacted by these practices can recognize themselves as not only being "acted upon" by forces external to themselves, but also capable and empowered to oppose these forces and create change. 15,31 Critical consciousness is relational, and hence, most easily occurs in the context of others. This has two implications.…”

“…To reach a level of “critical consciousness” individuals must recognize oppressive forces as both externally and internally imposed, and something that they can change. It is through the process of naming discriminatory practices that those impacted by these practices can recognize themselves as not only being “acted upon” by forces external to themselves, but also capable and empowered to oppose these forces and create change 15,31 …”

“…Another member Geoff similarly stated, “In fact, it's people that don't understand that basically have a problem”. These realizations marked the beginning of the development of the group's critical consciousness, whereby there was a “growing understanding of how a person's own capabilities have been defined not by their own choice” ( 31 , p. 123). Freire positions this development of critical awareness as essential for empowerment, for it is only when people begin to truly see the structures and forces that shape daily life, can they begin to understand that change is possible 33 …”