Although I did not know what the word conscientization meant, I could guess that it had something to do with a person’s conscious, which I have discovered it does, but it is a little more complicated than that. What is conscientization? Literally it means “to make aware” or “awakening of consciousness” or critical consciousness” (Lloyd, 1972). Conscientization is basically developing a critical consciousness or taking a critical look at a problem in society, reflecting on that problem, and then taking action against the oppressor, whatever or whoever that might be. It is a social process that unites people in a common problem, who reflect and then act upon their world (Lloyd, 1972).
According to: Tom Heaney
“Conscientization is an ongoing process by which a learner moves toward critical consciousness. This process is the heart of liberatory education. It differs from "consciousness raising" in that the latter frequently involves "banking" education--the transmission of pre-selected knowledge. Conscientization means breaking through prevailing mythologies to reach new levels of awareness--in particular, awareness of oppression, being an "object" in a world where only "subjects" have power. The process of conscientization involves identifying contradictions in experience through dialogue and becoming a "subject" with other oppressed subjects--that is, becoming part of the process of changing the world” (Heaney, 2005).
According to: Arthur S. Lloyd
“Conscientization both initiates and supports a process by which people become aware of the contradictions in the social structures and situations in which they live, in order to change such structures or situations: Conscientization implies, then, that when I realize that I am oppressed, I also know I can liberate myself if I transform the concrete situation where I find myself oppressed. Obviously, I can’t transform it in my head: that would be to fall into the philosophical error of thinking that awareness “creates” reality, I would be decreeing that I am free, by my mind. And yet, the structures would continue to be the same as ever-so that I wouldn’t be free. No, conscientization implies a critical insertion into a process; it implies a historical commitment to make changes (Lloyd 1972, 1:3).
After reading Lloyd’s paper, Freire, Conscientization, and Adult Education I was surprised to see that Freire had developed a method of adult literacy training in 1947 over concerns about the style of teaching and materials being used at the time. Of course this may not be all that interesting in itself, but what was rather coincidental is that that was the same reason I began my quest for educational reform in Oman, but I just was not aware of Freire or his ideas at the time. For several years while living in Muscat I tried to fix some of the many problems facing students in the private colleges, though I had little success. Moreover, I was told in no uncertain terms that I was there to teach and no more. However, after receiving a considerable number of complaints from the student body, I managed (for the first time I am aware of) to encourage them to help me, help them get the education they deserved. This may seem like a simple feat in some countries, but in those with dictatorial leaderships who outlaw protests or any other kind of social challenges, getting students on board and finding someone in authority to listen was no small feat. Our little rebellion began by discussing the issues of greatest concern to the students, then we talked about what were the causes of these problems and possible solutions to resolve them. Some of the problems students were concerned about were outdated computers, many in need of repair, only one black and white printer in the school, which was often out of ink and students were only allowed five sheets, there was little in the way of software, no photocopying facilities for students, nor a cafeteria or bookstore. Considering that the college was a media school, and the only media available to students were a few computers and the (censored) internet, with no access to the classrooms of course. Besides the severe lack of media equipment, the college library contained fewer books than my own personal collection, the bulk of which were written in Arabic (in an English college) or were program course books. There would certainly be no research done in that library anytime soon. In fact there were so many issues in that college I would need far more space and time to rant about them all. However, suffice it to say that the college was badly run with a megalomaniac at its helm and a visiting Fulbright Scholar at his side, but that is another story!
Since being introduced to Freire and his educational methods, I have begun to draw a parallel between what Lloyd was saying in his paper and how my students and I went through the very process he was describing. At the end of his review he states that “only the dispossessed can liberate themselves; they cannot depend upon the dominant to serve other than their own interests (Lloyd, 1972 pp.18). It was this statement that really reminded me of the struggles the students and I went through trying to improve an educational system that was concerned only with increased revenues. From the college’s inception three years ago, it has been plagued with problems, mainly due to a lack of expertise and their adversity to spending money. On numerous occasions I attempted to get the Dean to discuss the many problems plaguing the college or at the very least to watch the presentations I had put together on creative learning and curriculum development. Unfortunately, he was interested in neither, so the students and I worked together with the Ministry of Higher Education, and after a great deal of mental anguish caused by the Dean’s vindictive nature, drastic changes did occur in the college. The students were jubilant of course, but the administration certainly was not. Needless to say they are no longer at the college, a lot of new equipment has arrived, and the students were feeling more empowered by their victory that few have had before them. As for myself, I still struggle with everything that happened over there, and Freire’s work has not exactly given me piece of mind, but it has helped to validate my efforts.
I think my saving grace has been taking these education courses, as I am gaining an incredible amount of knowledge that my teaching practice could desperately use, and although the difficulties I encountered in The Middle East have been troubling me since I left, I feel that by studying these communication and adult learning theories I am beginning to understand how communication and cultural differences can often cause irreparable damage.
What role does conscientization play in adult education?
Freire’s problem-posing method of education is to give learners a tool to develop critical thinking skills. He uses a questioning process that structures dialogue in class (Wallerstein, 1983) instead of the “banking method" that domesticates students. This method he says is akin to students being empty receptacles waiting for knowledge to be deposited by the teacher and argues that schools socialize students with their own ideology and values of that society's dominant class (Solorzano, 1989). He also believes that teacher’s one way communication (as with lectures) with students can cause them to feel as if their opinions or ideas are of no value. To create a liberating education, Freire developed the problem-posing method, in which a two-way dialogue of cooperation between the student and the teacher is Freire's method includes three general phases: 1) identifying and naming the problem, 2) analyzing the causes of the problem, and 3) finding solutions to the problem (Freire 1970, 1973; Smith and Alschuler 1976). (Solorzano, 1989).
Key element of Freire’s problem-posing method
Analyzing its causes
Reflecting & acting = describing and defining a problem clearly
Acting to resolve
In this model students are encouraged to look at every issue as problems that have a resolution, not as something they have to accept as reality. They identify the problems, work together to determine the cause of the problem and act to resolve it. Freire believed that it was the teacher/facilitators responsibility to challenge students to take an active role in their education and to address the social problems they have identified (Solorzano, 1989). Using Freire’s method of teaching, adult learners have the opportunity to play a larger role in their education, as students equally determine the dialogue and what is important to the class by sharing their experiences. By making learning more meaningful, students will engage in dialogue more frequently and retain more of what they have learnt.
Conscientization has been highly effective in its initial purpose of educating illiterate people in South America/Latin America, and it could be just as successful in many other areas of social change as I demonstrated from my experiences in The Middle East. As an educational method, it is similar in principle to that of andragogy, since both treat the adult learner as an equal, respecting their ideas and opinions, as well as allowing the learner complete autonomy.
References
Heaney, T. (2005). Issues in Freirean pedagogy. Freire Issues. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from
http://www3.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/Documents/FreireIssues.cfm#conscientization
Lloyd, A. (1972). Freire, conscientization, and adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 23(1), 3-20. doi:10.1177/074171367202300101
Solorzano, D. G. (1989). Teaching and social change: Reflections on a freirean approach in a college classroom. Teaching Sociology, 17(2), pp. 218-225. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/stable/1317466
Wallerstein, Nina. (1983). The Teaching Approach of Paulo Freire. Methods that Work (12) pp.190-206 Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
According to: Tom Heaney
“Conscientization is an ongoing process by which a learner moves toward critical consciousness. This process is the heart of liberatory education. It differs from "consciousness raising" in that the latter frequently involves "banking" education--the transmission of pre-selected knowledge. Conscientization means breaking through prevailing mythologies to reach new levels of awareness--in particular, awareness of oppression, being an "object" in a world where only "subjects" have power. The process of conscientization involves identifying contradictions in experience through dialogue and becoming a "subject" with other oppressed subjects--that is, becoming part of the process of changing the world” (Heaney, 2005).
According to: Arthur S. Lloyd
“Conscientization both initiates and supports a process by which people become aware of the contradictions in the social structures and situations in which they live, in order to change such structures or situations: Conscientization implies, then, that when I realize that I am oppressed, I also know I can liberate myself if I transform the concrete situation where I find myself oppressed. Obviously, I can’t transform it in my head: that would be to fall into the philosophical error of thinking that awareness “creates” reality, I would be decreeing that I am free, by my mind. And yet, the structures would continue to be the same as ever-so that I wouldn’t be free. No, conscientization implies a critical insertion into a process; it implies a historical commitment to make changes (Lloyd 1972, 1:3).
After reading Lloyd’s paper, Freire, Conscientization, and Adult Education I was surprised to see that Freire had developed a method of adult literacy training in 1947 over concerns about the style of teaching and materials being used at the time. Of course this may not be all that interesting in itself, but what was rather coincidental is that that was the same reason I began my quest for educational reform in Oman, but I just was not aware of Freire or his ideas at the time. For several years while living in Muscat I tried to fix some of the many problems facing students in the private colleges, though I had little success. Moreover, I was told in no uncertain terms that I was there to teach and no more. However, after receiving a considerable number of complaints from the student body, I managed (for the first time I am aware of) to encourage them to help me, help them get the education they deserved. This may seem like a simple feat in some countries, but in those with dictatorial leaderships who outlaw protests or any other kind of social challenges, getting students on board and finding someone in authority to listen was no small feat. Our little rebellion began by discussing the issues of greatest concern to the students, then we talked about what were the causes of these problems and possible solutions to resolve them. Some of the problems students were concerned about were outdated computers, many in need of repair, only one black and white printer in the school, which was often out of ink and students were only allowed five sheets, there was little in the way of software, no photocopying facilities for students, nor a cafeteria or bookstore. Considering that the college was a media school, and the only media available to students were a few computers and the (censored) internet, with no access to the classrooms of course. Besides the severe lack of media equipment, the college library contained fewer books than my own personal collection, the bulk of which were written in Arabic (in an English college) or were program course books. There would certainly be no research done in that library anytime soon. In fact there were so many issues in that college I would need far more space and time to rant about them all. However, suffice it to say that the college was badly run with a megalomaniac at its helm and a visiting Fulbright Scholar at his side, but that is another story!
Since being introduced to Freire and his educational methods, I have begun to draw a parallel between what Lloyd was saying in his paper and how my students and I went through the very process he was describing. At the end of his review he states that “only the dispossessed can liberate themselves; they cannot depend upon the dominant to serve other than their own interests (Lloyd, 1972 pp.18). It was this statement that really reminded me of the struggles the students and I went through trying to improve an educational system that was concerned only with increased revenues. From the college’s inception three years ago, it has been plagued with problems, mainly due to a lack of expertise and their adversity to spending money. On numerous occasions I attempted to get the Dean to discuss the many problems plaguing the college or at the very least to watch the presentations I had put together on creative learning and curriculum development. Unfortunately, he was interested in neither, so the students and I worked together with the Ministry of Higher Education, and after a great deal of mental anguish caused by the Dean’s vindictive nature, drastic changes did occur in the college. The students were jubilant of course, but the administration certainly was not. Needless to say they are no longer at the college, a lot of new equipment has arrived, and the students were feeling more empowered by their victory that few have had before them. As for myself, I still struggle with everything that happened over there, and Freire’s work has not exactly given me piece of mind, but it has helped to validate my efforts.
I think my saving grace has been taking these education courses, as I am gaining an incredible amount of knowledge that my teaching practice could desperately use, and although the difficulties I encountered in The Middle East have been troubling me since I left, I feel that by studying these communication and adult learning theories I am beginning to understand how communication and cultural differences can often cause irreparable damage.
What role does conscientization play in adult education?
Freire’s problem-posing method of education is to give learners a tool to develop critical thinking skills. He uses a questioning process that structures dialogue in class (Wallerstein, 1983) instead of the “banking method" that domesticates students. This method he says is akin to students being empty receptacles waiting for knowledge to be deposited by the teacher and argues that schools socialize students with their own ideology and values of that society's dominant class (Solorzano, 1989). He also believes that teacher’s one way communication (as with lectures) with students can cause them to feel as if their opinions or ideas are of no value. To create a liberating education, Freire developed the problem-posing method, in which a two-way dialogue of cooperation between the student and the teacher is Freire's method includes three general phases: 1) identifying and naming the problem, 2) analyzing the causes of the problem, and 3) finding solutions to the problem (Freire 1970, 1973; Smith and Alschuler 1976). (Solorzano, 1989).
Key element of Freire’s problem-posing method
Analyzing its causes
Reflecting & acting = describing and defining a problem clearly
Acting to resolve
In this model students are encouraged to look at every issue as problems that have a resolution, not as something they have to accept as reality. They identify the problems, work together to determine the cause of the problem and act to resolve it. Freire believed that it was the teacher/facilitators responsibility to challenge students to take an active role in their education and to address the social problems they have identified (Solorzano, 1989). Using Freire’s method of teaching, adult learners have the opportunity to play a larger role in their education, as students equally determine the dialogue and what is important to the class by sharing their experiences. By making learning more meaningful, students will engage in dialogue more frequently and retain more of what they have learnt.
Conscientization has been highly effective in its initial purpose of educating illiterate people in South America/Latin America, and it could be just as successful in many other areas of social change as I demonstrated from my experiences in The Middle East. As an educational method, it is similar in principle to that of andragogy, since both treat the adult learner as an equal, respecting their ideas and opinions, as well as allowing the learner complete autonomy.
References
Heaney, T. (2005). Issues in Freirean pedagogy. Freire Issues. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from
http://www3.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/Documents/FreireIssues.cfm#conscientization
Lloyd, A. (1972). Freire, conscientization, and adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 23(1), 3-20. doi:10.1177/074171367202300101
Solorzano, D. G. (1989). Teaching and social change: Reflections on a freirean approach in a college classroom. Teaching Sociology, 17(2), pp. 218-225. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/stable/1317466
Wallerstein, Nina. (1983). The Teaching Approach of Paulo Freire. Methods that Work (12) pp.190-206 Boston: Heinle and Heinle.