In our second session of the book club, we came together to discuss Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed in its entirety. Building on the introductory framing and initial reflections from the first session, this meeting offered space for deeper engagement with Freire’s ideas and with each other. The session began with a focused summary of the book’s central concepts. Freire critiques the dominant “banking model” of education, in which teachers treat students as passive recipients of knowledge. He calls instead for a problem-posing education, based on dialogue, critical thinking, and mutual humanization. For Freire, education is never neutral: it either functions as an instrument of domination or becomes a practice of freedom
At the heart of his pedagogy is the process of conscientização—developing critical awareness of one’s social reality through reflection and action (praxis). Liberation, he argues, must be led by the oppressed themselves through their own awakening and collective transformation of the world. As in the first session, the conversation flowed naturally between the text and the lived experiences of the participants. People shared reflections on how Freire’s concepts resonate with their own work and contexts—whether in education, activism, or community organizing. Many recognized elements of the “banking model” in traditional school systems or institutional hierarchies they have encountered. Others connected Freire’s critique of oppression with broader societal structures, including inequality, exclusion, and control over knowledge production. Rather than debating the limits of Freire’s ideas, participants expressed a strong sense of affirmation. The discussion focused on how Pedagogy of the Oppressed remains deeply relevant—not just as a theoretical framework, but as a source of guidance and inspiration for real-world action. His emphasis on dialogue, solidarity, humility, and love was felt as both powerful and necessary in our current moment.
Participants also emphasized the emotional impact of engaging with Freire’s writing—the striking clarity with which he names systems of injustice, and the profound sense of hope embedded in his vision for human liberation. Many shared how the book stirred both discomfort and inspiration, challenging them to confront internalized patterns of oppression while also envisioning new possibilities for solidarity and transformation. Freire’s words opened a space for deep self-reflection—not only on how we experience or resist oppression in our own lives and work, but also on how we relate to others in processes of education, empowerment, and collective struggle. This emotional and reflective engagement reminded us that liberation is as much about healing and relationship as it is about structural change.
Session 2 affirmed that Pedagogy of the Oppressed is not only a powerful critique of educational and societal structures, but also a call to reimagine how we live, learn, and transform together. By grounding theory in our own experiences and contexts, we began to see how Freire’s ideas can shape our daily practices and long-term visions for justice. As we move forward in the book club, we carry with us a shared commitment to deepen our critical awareness, foster authentic dialogue, and co-create spaces of liberation—where education becomes a collective act of hope and resistance.
