Learning Liberation: a Comparative Analysis of Feminist Consciousness Raising and Freire's Conscientization Method

This study emerged from an awareness of the cr i t ica l role that learning plays wi th in social movements and from a belief that adult education can learn much from examin ing the learning activities of the Women ' s Movement . U s i n g a comparative approach, the similari t ies and differences between feminist consciousness ra is ing and Frei re ' s conscientization method were explored. The process of analysis involved studying Fre i re ' s wri t ten works avai lable in Eng l i sh and the literature resources available through the U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia l ib rary on feminist consciousness ra is ing. The comparison began w i t h presentation of the historical, poli t ical , social, and economic factors which led to the development of consciousness ra is ing and conscientization. Th i s included an examination of the historical background of B r a z i l , of biographical information on Frei re , and of the events which led to the development of F re i re ' s conscientization method. In a s imilar way , this study explored the his tor ical background of the Women's Movement , wi th part icular emphasis on its re-emergence dur ing the sixties and those factors which led to the creation of consciousness ra is ing groups. The next step in the analys is was the comparison of consciousness ra i s ing and conscientization using the fol lowing categories: the themes or content wi th in each process, the nature of the interact ion, the presence and role of teachers or coordinators, the phases in each process, and the changes in consciousness expected as a result of each process. The s tudy concluded wi th discussion of the differences between these two processes, w h i c h appear to be closely l inked to the different contexts and factors, such as the different kinds of oppression being fought against, which led to the development of each learning activi ty. A s the s imilar i t ies were identified, i t became evident that a number of important elements were common to both learning activit ies despite the v e r y different contexts. These common elements were presented as principles of the consciousness ra is ing method found wi th in l iberating social movements . Compar ing these two learning activities indicated the liberating power of a l lowing people to tell their own story. Implications for practice focused on the need for a contextual sensi t ivi ty when work ing wi th or studying the learning activities of social movements. It was argued that awareness of the similari t ies (suggested principles) and differences between consciousness raising and conscientization could prevent application of either method as s imply recipes for l iberation. M a n y recommendations were made for further research which stressed the ut i l i ty of comparat ive analysis for continuing examination of learning wi th in social movements. Recommendations were made for examination of the relationship between the nature of learning activities and the kind of oppression, either gender-based or class-based. Fur ther collaboration between the Women's Movemen t and adult education was suggested. T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S i v A B S T R A C T " L I S T O F F I G U R E S v A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S v i C H A P T E R I I N T R O D U C T I O N & B A C K G R O U N D T O T H E P R O B L E M 1 Research Approach 4 A n Ini t ial Comparison 5 Structure of Thesis 9 C H A P T E R II R E S E A R C H M E T H O D O L O G Y 10 B r i e f His to ry of Comparat ive Method . . .10 U t i l i t y of the Comparat ive Method 11 Limi ta t ions 12 Guidelines 12 Method Adapted for this Study 15 S u m m a r y 17 C H A P T E R III B A C K G R O U N D O N C O N S C I E N T I Z A T I O N 18 B r a z i l A Country in Trans i t ion 18 Paulo Fre i re Biographical Sketch 21 Fre i re ' s Philosophical Perspective 23 Religious Convictions 24 Pol i t ical Influences 25 Exis ten t ia l i sm and Phenomenological Perspective 26 Origins of the Conscientization Process 29 S u m m a r y 31 C H A P T E R I V B A C K G R O U N D O N C O N S C I O U S N E S S R A I S I N G 33 His tor ica l Perspective 33 Re-emergence D u r i n g the Sixties 36 The Bas i s of the Struggle 38 Women 's Oppression 40 The Personal Is Poli t ical 44 Femin is t Consciousness .46 Origins of Consciousness Ra i s ing Groups 47 S u m m a r y 50 C H A P T E R V C O M P A R I S O N O F P R O C E S S E S 52 The Consciousness Rais ing Process 52 The Conscientization Process 56 Compar ison U s i n g Themes 61 Themes or Content of the L e a r n i n g Process '. 61 Na tu re of the Interaction 64 Role of Teacher/Coordinator 65 Phases Wi th in the Process 68 Changes in Consciousness 69 S u m m a r y 73 C H A P T E R V I D I S C U S S I O N A N D C O N C L U S I O N S 74 Interpretation of Results 74 Simi lar i t ies 77 Limi ta t ions of A n a l y s i s 79 Implications for Practice 79 Implications for Research 8.3 Concluding Remarks 85 R E F E R E N C E S 87