Within the parameters of western ideology the concept of democracy is frequently upheld as a corner stone to which our moral, social, political and educational practices are anchored. The term has become a powerful instrument of persuasion in the public forums as the innate goodness of democracy has become more unquestionably ingrained in the historical imaginations of its citizens. As the logic surrounding the value placed on democracy is entwined with the virtues of freedom and self-determination for all, this is hardly surprising. What remains often unexplored in these public forums, however, is whether this logic is in fact justified. To situate the investigation into the current political arena is to acknowledge the dichotomy by which the philosophies of democracy and capitalism are publicly claimed to exist side by side. Such an acknowledgement forcefully yields one to the questions of to what extent our current ideologies of democracy, and the perpetuation of this dogma through our education system, can successfully result in producing an authentic democratic society within capitalist constructs. This thesis has been written in an attempt to expose the contradiction present between our current political claims of democracy and our capitalist directed practices of education through the critical philosophy of Paulo Freire. Freire has firmly established himself as a respected democratic educator, however, my intention has not been to reduce his educational pedagogy by adapting it to attempt to improve the current system of schooling, as I argue is frequently found within educational literature, but rather to differentiate his democratic philosophy of education as the practice of freedom from the capitalist concept of education as a tool of domination and domestication. I argue that the logic of transnational capitalism, which dictates the policies and practices of our education system, is detrimental to the development of the peoples' critical thinking facilities and thus negates their individual and collective empowerment. Such a system of banking education actively denies people the right to participate in history as subjects and inhibits the possibility of an authentic democracy. In this way the capitalist education system is in fact a system of oppression. Through Freire's critical pedagogy I argue that the transference ofknowledge through an authoritarian system does not constitute as education but is instead a training ground for workers set up in the interests of capitalist employers. Social class divisions are maintained and enforced by means of a paternalistic apparatus of hierarchy. In supporting Freire's philosophy, and acknowledging the entirely political nature of education, I argue that an education system that would support an authentic democracy would have to practice authentic democracy. Through the concepts of 'promblematization', dialogue, critical transitivity and praxis I have attempted to refute the fatalistic assumptions that such an education system is unconceivable or unexplainable. Indeed, I argue that if our goal is to live in a democracy then such concepts are unavoidable. The historical case study from the history of the New Zealand education system is included to illustrate the theory in practice. Here I argue that the intentions, practices and policies of the legislators were anti-democratic and anti-educational in that they constructed a compulsory system that is detrimental to the development of critical thought, self determination and dialogical knowing that is necessary to allow each member of society to be part of the governing system. By examining the consequences and legacy of this system it is possible to expose its influences in the larger educational realm in society. It is not my intention to simply present New Zealand education as an isolated case which requires examination but rather as a prominent example of how Freire's philosophy applies to traditional education in the west. This thesis is therefore aimed at re-defining the concepts of democracy and education through critically examining the socio-economic conditions necessary for effective and equal participation in democratic forums. By critiquing the current system via the vehicle of Freire's philosophy, a prominent democratic educator, the divide between democracy as an illusion and as a reality becomes clearer.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 136 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-114).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 63-66).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Gothenburg. / Summary in English. Bibliography: p. 253-265.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-66). Also available in print.

O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é analisar o problema da liberdade nas obras de Paulo Freire escrita até 1970, compreendendo o percurso de apropriação que este educador fez da Psicologia Humanista de Erich Fromm. Trata-se de uma pesquisa histórica, circunscrita no âmbito da História da Educação e da Psicologia do Século XX. Como fontes, utilizamos as obras dos autores em questão focando-nos em dois aspectos: a) na apreensão dos problemas que interessavam ambos os autores e nas soluções dadas pelos mesmos naquele contexto histórico; b) no entendimento das hipóteses e expectativas que consideravam como válidas. O estudo realizado evidenciou-nos que ambos os autores partiram de suas realidades, transformando suas reflexões em contribuições concretas para interpretar o problema da liberdade. Ambos viveram a crise profunda do mundo contemporâneo causada pelo terror do totalitarismo e da ideologia, cuja perversidade ameaçou a liberdade humana e o funcionamento de uma sociedade democrática e que se traduziu no campo intelectual pelo esfacelamento da tradição filosófica e religiosa. Ambos utilizaram novos métodos para justificarem a busca da resposta ao problema da liberdade em um século marcado pela violência. Embora a matriz ontológica do conceito de liberdade de Freire seja diferente de Fromm, contrariando nossa hipótese inicial de trabalho, Freire, encontra na psicologia humanista de Fromm uma possibilidade de reflexão sobre a questão educacional brasileira, partindo da história de sua tradição educacional e da inexperiência democrática do povo brasileiro, numa ótica interdisciplinar, com base filosófica antropológica e oferece categorias psicológicas para análise da formação da consciência dos indivíduos, ponto chave da liberdade humana, extremamente necessária para a educação de uma sociedade democrática. / The main objective of this research paper is to analyze the problem of freedom in Paulo Freire\'s works written until 1970, encompassing the trajectory of appropriation that this educator does upon Erich Fromm\'s Humanist Psychology. It is about a historical research, circumscribed in the scope of History of Education and Psychology and 20th Century. As sources, works of the authors mentioned have been used focusing primarily on two aspects: a) apprehension of the problems that were of interest to both authors and the solutions provided by both of them in that historical context; b) understanding of the hypotheses and expectations that were considered valid. The study has evidenced that both authors had as a starting point their own realities, transforming their reflections in concrete contributions to interpret the problem of freedom. Both lived the profound crisis of the contemporary world caused by the terror of totalitarianism and ideology, whose perversity threatened human freedom and functionalism of a democratic society and that translated itself in the intellectual field by the shredding of philosophical and religious tradition. Both used new methods to justify the search for the answer to the problem of freedom in a century stained by violence. Even though the ontological matrix of Freire\'s concept of freedom is different from Fromm\'s, contradicting the initial hypothesis of this paper, not only does Freire find in Fromm\'s humanist psychology a possibility to reflect upon the Brazilian educational problem, starting from the history of its educational tradition and the democratic inexperience from the Brazilian people, under an interdisciplinary view, with its anthropological philosophical foundation, but he also offers psychological categories to the human analysis for the formation of consciousness in individuals, key fact to the human freedom, extremely necessary to the education of a democratic society.

nÃo hà / O presente trabalho se propÃe a examinar as relaÃÃes entre violÃncia e infÃncia nas narrativas do escritor pernambucano Marcelino Freire, tendo em vista a violÃncia como um dos traÃos identificadores de sua temÃtica. Inseridas no movimento de escritores da GeraÃÃo 90, as narrativas de Freire carregam fortes ranhuras de uma infÃncia dilacerada pela violÃncia e personagens crianÃas agindo sobre um espaÃo que reflete as tensÃes e transformaÃÃes da vida cotidiana descortinada pelo autor. Para uma anÃlise mais apurada do tema foram selecionados para o corpus dessa pesquisa os contos: âMaracabulâ, âMeu Ãltimo natalâ, âAmigo do reiâ e âBalÃâ. A razÃo desse recorte na produÃÃo ficcional de Marcelino Freire està no fato de os referidos contos evidenciarem o modo de o escritor relacionar infÃncia e espaÃo, representando uma realidade inaceitÃvel do ponto de vista Ãtico ou polÃtico. Por conseguinte, o trabalho prioriza a verificaÃÃo dos aspectos que impulsionam a ideia de desconstruÃÃo do sentido de infÃncia idÃlica. Para pensar questÃes relacionadas à infÃncia, faz-se necessÃrio, portanto, visitar contextos e sublinhar momentos histÃricos. Dessa forma, foram pontuados alguns olhares e discursos para ajudar na compreensÃo dessa temÃtica. Jacqueline Held (1980), Philippe AriÃs (1981), Walter Benjamin (1985), Antonio Candido (1989), Chombart de Lauwe (1991), Guacira Lopes Louro (2010), Gilbert Durand (2012) e Pierre Bourdieu (2012) sÃo alguns dos autores representativos para esse estudo. Importa ainda ressaltar a relevÃncia dos estudos foucaultianos na abordagem da temÃtica da violÃncia. Os procedimentos metodolÃgicos abrangem, assim, a leitura e anÃlise detalhada das obras de Marcelino Freire, seguida de uma leitura crÃtico-reflexiva do referencial teÃrico escolhido e da fortuna crÃtica do autor,

O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é analisar o problema da liberdade nas obras de Paulo Freire escrita até 1970, compreendendo o percurso de apropriação que este educador fez da Psicologia Humanista de Erich Fromm. Trata-se de uma pesquisa histórica, circunscrita no âmbito da História da Educação e da Psicologia do Século XX. Como fontes, utilizamos as obras dos autores em questão focando-nos em dois aspectos: a) na apreensão dos problemas que interessavam ambos os autores e nas soluções dadas pelos mesmos naquele contexto histórico; b) no entendimento das hipóteses e expectativas que consideravam como válidas. O estudo realizado evidenciou-nos que ambos os autores partiram de suas realidades, transformando suas reflexões em contribuições concretas para interpretar o problema da liberdade. Ambos viveram a crise profunda do mundo contemporâneo causada pelo terror do totalitarismo e da ideologia, cuja perversidade ameaçou a liberdade humana e o funcionamento de uma sociedade democrática e que se traduziu no campo intelectual pelo esfacelamento da tradição filosófica e religiosa. Ambos utilizaram novos métodos para justificarem a busca da resposta ao problema da liberdade em um século marcado pela violência. Embora a matriz ontológica do conceito de liberdade de Freire seja diferente de Fromm, contrariando nossa hipótese inicial de trabalho, Freire, encontra na psicologia humanista de Fromm uma possibilidade de reflexão sobre a questão educacional brasileira, partindo da história de sua tradição educacional e da inexperiência democrática do povo brasileiro, numa ótica interdisciplinar, com base filosófica antropológica e oferece categorias psicológicas para análise da formação da consciência dos indivíduos, ponto chave da liberdade humana, extremamente necessária para a educação de uma sociedade democrática. / The main objective of this research paper is to analyze the problem of freedom in Paulo Freire\'s works written until 1970, encompassing the trajectory of appropriation that this educator does upon Erich Fromm\'s Humanist Psychology. It is about a historical research, circumscribed in the scope of History of Education and Psychology and 20th Century. As sources, works of the authors mentioned have been used focusing primarily on two aspects: a) apprehension of the problems that were of interest to both authors and the solutions provided by both of them in that historical context; b) understanding of the hypotheses and expectations that were considered valid. The study has evidenced that both authors had as a starting point their own realities, transforming their reflections in concrete contributions to interpret the problem of freedom. Both lived the profound crisis of the contemporary world caused by the terror of totalitarianism and ideology, whose perversity threatened human freedom and functionalism of a democratic society and that translated itself in the intellectual field by the shredding of philosophical and religious tradition. Both used new methods to justify the search for the answer to the problem of freedom in a century stained by violence. Even though the ontological matrix of Freire\'s concept of freedom is different from Fromm\'s, contradicting the initial hypothesis of this paper, not only does Freire find in Fromm\'s humanist psychology a possibility to reflect upon the Brazilian educational problem, starting from the history of its educational tradition and the democratic inexperience from the Brazilian people, under an interdisciplinary view, with its anthropological philosophical foundation, but he also offers psychological categories to the human analysis for the formation of consciousness in individuals, key fact to the human freedom, extremely necessary to the education of a democratic society.

Dissertation--Philosophische Fakultät--Zürich--Universität, 2002. / Bibliogr. p. 242-265.