To What Extent Does Education Liberate People Within The Social Classes

Later on in our education, we realize that our teachers are not at fault for teaching the material that they do, that their job simply requires them to do so. In “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education” by Paulo Freire, he blames the oppressors, the elites of society, as the reasons why education is the way it is: “Indeed, the interests of the oppressors lie in ‘changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation which oppresses them’; for the more the oppressed can be led to adapt to that situation, the more easily they can be dominated. To achieve this end, the oppressors use the banking concept of education …” (258). The school boards gives educators a set curriculum to go by, and the teachers based the material they teach around it. This is one of the ways that the oppressors change our consciousness, by exposing us slowly and over a long period of time to a set situation until we do not know there exists a different

Education has always been a basic human right across every society around the world. We have always needed to disseminate information and teach people about different skills in order to perpetuate our societies, as they cannot function if people will never go beyond the basics and specialize. However, it is also because of education that we become more holistic people, taking in new ideas and thinking about them, allowing us to develop ourselves as an individual. This is why education is important in creating informed citizens within our own societies, creating our individual “voice” and instigate change within our societies. James Baldwin’s article A Talk to Teachers stresses this, as he discusses that education is important in the liberation of people of color from discrimination and oppression. As long as knowledge about issues are spread, people will think and act once they possess the knowledge to. This is why Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” informs people about the issues of mass incarceration, because if people aren’t knowledgeable about such issues, they will never act to change it, or have any reason to care. Knowledge is a powerful weapon, and it is our responsibility to use it for the better.

“If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” Those words were the famous phrase spoke by Johnnie Cochran, one of the defense attorneys, in the case of “People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson.” This eminent motto marked a key turning point in what is known as the most publicized criminal trial in American history. This case brought about many social issues in the country and the American Criminal Justice system. Of the many social topics raised by the case, a few that are most imperative are social class, education, and race.

When people learn that an education can give oneself freedom, power, and knowledge oneself can conquer any problem that comes its way. It is oneself responsibility to take advantage of its free education that I and everyone is given here in the United States. It seems people that are restricted from receiving an education are the ones that are determined to do whatever it takes to get an education so oneself can improve one’s life.

Before considering oppression in general, we must first note that people and institutions who hold power oftentimes use this power to oppress others.

Some people believe education enslaves us and other people believe education liberates us. The education that students receive is both boring and incorrect; in the Oxford dictionary it defined education, “a process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university”. I strongly believe education enslaves us. Schools don’t educate, they only teach people to follow orders. Sherman Alexie tackles his own process of education, one that includes a voracious hunger for the written word. His experience with education was one of autonomy, and his relationship to learning led him to future success. On the other hand, John Taylor Gatto also suggests for a more unrestricted learning experience, a complete opposite from the regimented factory-like settings of compulsory mass education. Arguing against the harm that public school creates, Gatto suggests promoting learning instead of “schooling”.

All of a sudden, I found myself thinking sociologically when I started wondering about how get payed differently. As a society we have set up many barriers around people that makes them feel that they have very little that they can do. We have divided society into social classes that arranged from the upper class to the middle class then lower class. These classes that are set make some people feel like they are at a disadvantage when it comes to many things. After having a long thought about this I think that removing the social classes will be very beneficial to many people. Some the rich people will say that they like how it is now because they are getting lots of benefits from the social classes and that it’s not their fault they have more than others.

The lack of knowledge deprives many individuals, from the essence of a better quality of life. “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society”, written by Jonathan Kozol, who is an American writer and educator; discusses the negative effects that society has brought upon illiterate people. Unfortunately, the majority of illiterate individuals suffer from poverty, and are raised in households where their parents could not read or write. In this case, they are subjected to grow in an environment that is deficient of educational skills. The terrible outcome of this, is that the cycle of illiteracy continues to pass on from generation to generation.

Marxists sociologists, such as Althusser, Bowles and Gintis and Willis argue that education operates in the interests of the ruling class and maintains capitalism. However, other sociologists oppose this by arguing that this is false and education is meritocratic.

The oppressed are tools that the oppressors can choose from. In addition, the oppressed are kept from rising up and revolting because of disunity caused by the oppressors. The amount

Reading the first chapters of the Pedagogy of the Oppressed brought to my mind part of the history of Latin America, which I consider, is vital to understand the context where Paulo Freire lived which shaped his beliefs about education as an emancipatory force.

The world’s middle class is growing while America’s middle class stays the same. United States has a smaller middle class compared to other countries like China, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer and the middle class either stays how it is or gets smaller. Every modern country’s goal is to cut poverty and grow the middle class. In order to grow the middle class we need to increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage has been raised from 7.25 dollars per hour to about 9-10 dollars per hour. With minimum wage increase we encourage workers to get out of poverty and have an ability to improve their financial status. Another reason why United States has a “poor” middle class is that higher education puts kids into debt while higher education in other countries is tuition free. Students in debt are not likely to become wealthy anytime soon which raises a question if higher education is even worth it. Making higher education affordable is a key to grow the middle class. The other reason that might be affecting the middle class being small is medical insurance not being available for the most. Not everyone can afford medical insurance. Government needs to provide affordable medical insurance to improve the middle class and cut down poverty. Last but not least, opening a business is a hard task for low and middle class. While rich open up businesses and expand, lower class is struggling. Having some economic aid from government

In the last five decades, racial discrimination limited many inhabitants in America. Access to all facilities depended on the race. The Whites were given the priority over the Blacks, the African-Americans, and the other minor groups. In those times, as much as some of the minority races dominated in some areas, this was not the case in schools. It did not guarantee them easy access to the state's functionalities. While bringing up children, educational facilities denied the children from the discriminated races the essential services in schools affecting their access to education. Currently, race matters less than the level of income and the social class, hence the variations

In “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education,” from the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Revised Edition, Paulo Freire discusses two different types of education: “banking” and problem-posing. The banking concept of education is when teachers “make deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat” (318), and ‘problem posing’ is when the teachers and students are equal. Instead of being treated as human beings that have their own thoughts and ideas, students are treated as containers that are simply filled by a powerful being, a teacher. In school, teachers are dominants that provide knowledge to the students, the subordinates; the knowledge that students learn are limited to what they’re taught by teachers. Similarly, in Kurt Wimmer’s ‘Equilibrium’, Librians are treated as reservoirs for knowledge.

. According to John Dewey education plays a large role in the development of an individual and it is an element that separates humans from other animals. It is important to try to comprehend what Dewey means by this and in order to do so the following must be done. First, one must understand the role education plays in an individual and Dewey’s notions of education in the areas of growth, direction and social function. Second, after comprehending Dewey’s notions of education in the areas of growth, direction, and social function, one must be able to grasp the distinction between education as a social function and the simple notion of training and what sets these two apart. Third, after being able to comprehend the notions of education and the distinction between education as a social function and training, the idea of why education is distinctive of human life will be further developed.