LibGuides: Banned Books Week: Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

by Paulo Freire

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Call Number: Foley General Collection LB880.F73 P4313 2000; Ebook available

ISBN: 9780826412768

Publication Date: 1968

First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world. Freire's work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm. With a substantive new introduction on Freire's life and the remarkable impact of this book by writer and Freire confidant and authority Donaldo Macedo, this anniversary edition of Pedagogy of the Oppressed will inspire a new generation of educators, students, and general readers for years to come.

Why was this book challenged?

Reasons: Racial Content

According to the American Library Association, “In 2012, under threat of violating state law and losing state funding, the Tucson (AZ) Unified School District voted to cut its Mexican American Studies (MAS) program. Pedagogy of the Oppressed and numerous other books affiliated with the MAS program were found in violation, removed from the curriculum, and stored in district storehouses. Freire’s seminal work, published in 1968 and translated into English in 1970, challenges traditional relationships between teachers and students, calling for an educational environment where learners are not treated as empty vessels for information but rather are respected as active participants in the learning process."
See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about why books that address racism and inequality are frequently targeted for censorship.

Gonzaga University's Office of a Pedagogy of Hope

Gonzaga University has an Office of a Pedagogy of Hope that is inspired by Paulo Freire and his philosophy on social condition and its impact on education. The office aspires to work in community with others to identify, understand, and address issues of marginalization. Through reflection, engagement, and dialogue with historical and contemporary issues in educational systems, the office exists to re-imagine learning spaces as accessible and inclusive for all. In community, they seek to bring together Gonzaga University students, faculty, staff, and members of the Spokane community to push systems towards active change and transformation.  

A Pedagogy of Hope is an approach to education based on Paulo Freire’s work, among others, that promotes an awareness of social reality through reflection and action (Freire 1970/1993). The goal of this approach is to encourage students, faculty, and community members to be active participants in transformational change that offers access and opportunity to all members of the educational community.