ERIC Number: EJ896266
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Aug
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1740-2743
EISSN: N/A
Freire: Informal Education as Protest
Butte, Susanne
Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, v8 n1 p161-180 Aug 2010
What might be learned during a political protest or in the evolution of a social movement? This paper begins with a demonstration of some historical facts about people with disabilities who were demanding their rights, long before Paulo Freire and critical pedagogy. Then, the author offers her personal experience in attending and participating in a national protest with ADAPT, a national civil rights organization concerned for the civil rights of people with disabilities, to demonstrate the effectiveness of educating people during a protest. The consequence of this protest was to make visible people who are typically unseen and not heard from. This protest completely changed the public assumption that the minority's experiences typically contrast to that of people who are discriminated against. The author stresses that educators of social justice have to be aware that the power of change comes from the willingness to see and accept difference as positive and privilege. The personal power of protesting for a cause and what motivates people with disabilities to engage in a protest is also discussed.
Descriptors: Informal Education, Activism, Disabilities, Civil Rights, Social Justice, Critical Theory, Empowerment
Institute for Education Policy Studies. University of Northampton, School of Education, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, UK. Tel: +44-1273-270943; e-mail: ieps@ieps.org.uk; Web site: http://www.jceps.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A