Dewey, Freire, And Pedagogy For The Oppressor Summary

Rebecca Thornton
Prof. Lane Brooks
EDUC 2110
August 27, 2014
Review of Dewey, Freire, and Pedagogy for the Oppressor Equal opportunity for all is a foundation that America stands upon. American education is supposed to teach students that they are equal, despite their diverse backgrounds, but that is not always the case. If this nation supports equal opportunity for all, then why are there still people that feel left out? Rick A. Breault explains in “Dewey, Freire, and Pedagogy for the Oppressor”, that cultural diversity and democracy are unable to coincide without a fight to end oppression. Breault provides excerpts from writings by Paulo Freire and John Dewey to support his argument that oppression exists in our democratic society. Breault makes several interesting points that are in response to American education today.
Breault directly links oppression to the educational system by stating that the curriculum taught in schools focus on “rational/technical studies” rather than “emotional, intuitive types of learning (Breault, p.2).” He is explaining that the oppressor does not like change and has continued to teach oppression in the classroom.
Schools continue to teach over the past, which offend the oppressed. Breault believes that a school’s curriculum should focus on “the modern United States (p. 4).” He seems convinced that students would appreciate diversity and develop a greater understanding of its importance to American society. People develop assumptions about the oppressed from what they learned and have experienced from them. Breault states that if the curriculum does change in response to a better “multicultural understanding,” it should be relatable to real life experiences (p.
5). Breault lists some interesting assumptions that have brought about his observation of the oppressed. One assumption that clearly stuck out, was his idea that children are more likely to be open to diversity than adults. Are children born without prejudice? We assume that they are not and that is why they are more apt to interacting with someone that may appear different from them. He shares a quote from Dewey that expresses how “the adult should be growing in childlikeness (p. 5).” This is particularly difficult for adults to, because of how they were raised and taught to believe. It is easier said than done, especially for the elderly. Students of this generation also share common goals, like children, which makes it easier to bond with others. His ideas can be related to the inauguration of our current president, Barack Obama. According to the Pew Research Center, 66% of President Obama’s votes were from people 18 to 30 years of age (Pew Research). Students of this era desire change, due to the fact that they are aware of social injustice on a daily basis when they are in school. Brenaut presents the assumption that an oppressor will change what they believe, if a teacher can show and teach “positive images of the culture and contributions of various ethnic groups (p. 2).” President Obama has presented a positive image towards the African American and multiracial population, by defining the odds of becoming the first African American president. We cannot just list positive contributions, without showing and explaining where and how far the oppressed have come. This goes for all races, ethnic groups, and genders, whether it is good or bad. American schools strive to provide an equal opportunity for all and express that diversity is an important factor of the American culture. Brenaut explains that oppression is hindering the growth of diversity and suggests ways that it can gain some light among our school systems. Conquering diversity seems to be an easier job for children, than it is for adults. A way that adults can become more open to diversity is to work around different cultures and to not be afraid to ask questions. Adults find it easy to make assumptions about people who are not like them, and they best way to fight this prejudice is to be around a diverse culture on a daily basis. This is why it is much easier for students to experience diversity, because it starts in our school systems.

Resources
Breault, Rick. “Dewey, Freire and Pedagogy for the Oppressor.” Multicultural Education, 2003:
1-5. Print.
“Young Voters Supported Obama Less, But May Have Mattered More.” Pew Research: Center for People and the Press. 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 Sept. 2014.