Paulo Freire’s Legacy for Radical Education and Politics
Comments on Liberating Praxis: Arguably the most comprehensive and, in my estimation, most accurate account of Paulo Freire’s life, legacy and praxis – both his intellectual contributions and the application of his philosophy in various educational sites – has thankfully been published in paperback. Peter Mayo’s exceptional book is an essential pre-requisite for anyone wanting to engage in a serious study of Freire and/or the theoretical foundations of critical, and revolutionary critical, education. Congratulations to Mayo and Sense Publishers for making this valuable book more accessible to readers. Paula Allman, author of Revolutionary Social Transformation. Democratic Hopes, Political Possibilities and Critical Education and Critical Education Against Global Capitalism. Karl Marx and Revolutionary Critical Education A brilliant and comprehensive analysis of Freire’s work From the Foreword by Henry A. Giroux, McMaster University …Mayo’s critique takes on an even more distinctive cast insofar as it is linked to the analysis of the intensification of globalisation and the phenomenon of neocolonialism. Drawing on diverse works by Fanon, Said, Rodney, Foucault and Freire himself, Mayo weaves a complex discourse on pedagogy, social difference, multiethnicity, the canon, and the subaltern. Gloria Lauri Lucente, Journal of Mediterranean Studies This is an enormously informative and engaging book for anyone who claimsto be a critical pedagogue …I find this book an invaluable resource. Threading Freire’scontribution through each chapter, Mayo identifies a wide array of peoplewho have engaged with his work in contexts around the world. However,more than that, he offers stimulating challenges for our times by considering the ongoing usefulness of Freire to his region, the Mediterranean and to specific projects in which he has actively engaged in praxis … Margaret Ledwith, Educational Action Research The present book has been written by an admirer and connoisseur of Freire, one who has had first-hand access to the relevant sources. Mayo makes brilliant use of his material in what amounts to a highly interesting and insightful study. Mohammed Sabour, International Journal of Contemporary Sociology A meticulous piece of work that updates and weaves Freire's thought with that of other critical educators and philosophers, producing a text of great clarity and valuable insight. Mayo's exploration of the concept of 'reinvention' and the concrete application of Freire's ideas to his own context constitutes an excellent example of praxis in the emancipatory education in which he engages. This work substantially advances the understanding of adult education for transformative ends. Nelly Stromquist, University of Southern California ...[A] path-finding work by one of the world's leading Freirean scholars. The current political climate and the intensification of Neoliberalism as a global strategy of exploitation demands that we take Paulo Freire's legacy to heart, and Mayo's treatment of Freire's pedagogy and politics makes this urgently clear. It also sets the terms of the debate for how educators can proceed apace in taking up the struggle for social transformation. Peter McLaren, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies UCLA This book is an excellent antidote to many common misuses and misunderstandings of Freire’s work. Mayo firmly roots Freire in an emancipatory politics that is all-too-often oversimplified as “left” or “progressive.” Mayo brings a sensitive and thorough hand to this exposition and, what’s more, he demonstrates one aspect of the very “praxis” that is his focus, both by applying Freirian thinking to his own local context of the Mediterranean (Chapter 5) as well as by describing a handful of concrete projects (Chapter 6). Chris Cavanagh, Convergence It is in chapter five and six that Mayo provides the most significant original insight into Freire’s work and the uses of it. In chapter five, entitled “Reinventing Freire in a Southern Context: The Mediterranean” he shows the ways in which Freire’s work is indeed not a “one shoe fits all strategy, which has been a feature of the dominant neoliberal, neo-colonial, and technical rational discourse in education” (p. 103). Through showing the success of applying Freirian concepts to a diverse population that Freire never directly addressed, Mayo shows the ways Freire translates into different contexts. Mayo maps Freire’s context onto his own Mediterranean context to show the ways in which Freire’s thought can address calls for learning about the other, inclusive language, and multicentric curriculum. Karen Sihra, Paideusis This is a short book which offers a wide overview of Freire's work: it is written by an author who has spent many years studying his writings and who has considerable sympathy with them. As an introduction to Freire, it is comprehensive and would prove useful to recommend as a text to students or educators who are unfamiliar with the body of Freire's work.Peter Jarvis, International Journal of Lifelong Education In the second half of Liberating Praxis, Peter Mayo introduces his own struggles and dreams and, in so doing, honors the man he writes about and whose final assignment (‘Reinvent me’) inspires some of us to live life and go about our business as if every day were our last. Peter Lownds, Journal of Transformative Education
