Dialogue Analysis in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

In Freire’s work, dialogue is the interaction between people who critically think about the world together. When people are in dialogue with one another, they have equal agency, and no person has power over the other. Freire argues that education and political change must be “dialogic” to achieve freedom, compared to the “anti-dialogic” nature of oppression.

Dialogue Quotes in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

The Pedagogy of the Oppressed quotes below are all either spoken by Dialogue or refer to Dialogue. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

…The more radical the person is, the more fully he or she enters into reality so that, knowing it better, he or she can better transform it. This individual is not afraid to confront, to listen, to see the world unveiled. This person is not afraid to meet the people or to enter into dialogue with them. This person does not consider himself or herself…the liberator of the oppressed; but he or she does commit himself or herself, within history, to fight at their side.

Related Characters: Paulo Freire (speaker), The Oppressed

Page Number and Citation: 39

Explanation and Analysis:

Because love is an act of courage, not of fear, love is commitment to others. No matter where the oppressed are found, the act of love is commitment to their cause—the cause of liberation. And this commitment, because it is loving, is dialogical.

Related Characters: The Oppressed (speaker), The Oppressed

Page Number and Citation: 89

Explanation and Analysis:

One cannot expect positive results from an educational or political action program which fails to respect the particular view of the world held by the people. Such a program constitutes cultural invasion, good intentions notwithstanding.

Related Characters: Paulo Freire (speaker), The Oppressed

Page Number and Citation: 95

Explanation and Analysis:

The revolution is made neither by the leaders for the people, nor by the people for the leaders, but by both acting together in unshakable solidarity. This solidarity is born only when the leaders witness to it by their humble, loving, and courageous encounter with the people.

Related Characters: Paulo Freire (speaker), The Oppressed

Page Number and Citation: 129

Explanation and Analysis:

Prior to the emergence of the people there is no manipulation (precisely speaking), but rather total suppression. When the oppressed are almost completely submerged in reality, it is unnecessary to manipulate them. In the antidialogical theory of action, manipulation is the response of the oppressor to the new concrete conditions of the historical process.

Related Characters: Paulo Freire (speaker), The Oppressor, The Oppressed

Page Number and Citation: 148

Explanation and Analysis:

Dialogue Term Timeline in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

The timeline below shows where the term Dialogue appears in Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Maintaining and Overthrowing Oppression Theme Icon

...radicals are “committed to human liberation,” willing to confront oppression head-on, and they work in dialogue with other people. Radicals do not see themselves as the gatekeeper to freedom for the... (full context)

...acceptance to active participation in the struggle. Along the way, the oppressed should enter into dialogue with others to push for freedom together; when people try to liberate the oppressed without... (full context)

In stark contrast to “banking,” a “problem-posing” pedagogy is based on communication and dialogue, and it fosters human freedom. It transforms the relationship between students and teachers, merging them... (full context)

...make decisions and ask questions for themselves in pursuit of humanization. It must rely on dialogue at every stage of the process. (full context)

At the start of Chapter 3, Freire continues his discussion of dialogue from the previous chapter. He asserts that dialogue primarily consists of “the word”—which he equates... (full context)

According to Freire, dialogue is an act of radical love “for the world and for people,” because it is... (full context)

Lastly, dialogue cannot exist without hope and critical thinking. To Freire, hope comes from human beings’ constant... (full context)

Static History vs. Fluid History Theme Icon

When political leaders and educators begin the process of dialogue, they should try to understand the objective conditions of oppressed people, and how oppressed people... (full context)

...begin to take action in the world. Like other parts of Freire’s pedagogy, it requires dialogue and mutual trust between everyone involved. (full context)

...oppressors use to keep their power. To Freire, the key to an effective revolution is dialogue: both oppressors and revolutionaries have methods of changing society, but the oppressors’ methods are inherently... (full context)

Conquest. “Antidialogical action” is a way of changing culture that serves the interests of oppressors. The most... (full context)

...for liberation. This creates rifts among different groups of oppressed people and discourages them from dialogue. One example Freire uses is community development projects that separate local communities from each other—when... (full context)

...and oppressed classes make pacts (or other formal agreements) together. This creates the illusion of dialogue, but in reality the oppressors determine what the agreement is and then often don’t follow... (full context)

Cooperation. From here, Freire discusses “dialogical action,” which is what revolutionary leaders should use to attack the oppressors’ antidialogical methods. Revolutionary... (full context)

...says that all cultural action either attempts to preserve or change society; when it includes dialogue, cultural action can overcome the contradictions of oppressive society and achieve liberation for all people.... (full context)

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Dialogue Term Analysis

Dialogue Quotes in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Dialogue Term Timeline in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

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