Dialogic Praxis: Radical Pedagogy for a Runaway American Dream

By Daniel Loughran

Abstract

In his 1968 classic Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Brazil’s heroic social reformer and educational theorist Paulo Freire argues that man’s ontological vocation is to create a world that is just for all. Such transformation begins with the individual, who must first create an awakening within himself—conscientização—and then, upon careful reflection, take action. This thinking and action, which Freire calls praxis, can only occur through dialogics, an authentic dialogue between teacher and learners. Bruce Springsteen has conceptualized his career as an ongoing conversation with his audience (Rolling Stone, November 1, 2007), and I argue that Springsteen’s dialogue with his fans fosters a pedagogy similar to Freire’s. Both thinkers provide unique models of dialogic praxis designed for different purposes. Freire offers a direct, boots-on-the-ground, mission-oriented approach he established via “cultural circles” to help Brazilians self-actualize and become empowered citizens. Springsteen offers an indirect, visionary approach mediated through songwriting, concert performances, and public statements to help Americans transform themselves into empathetic citizens. I argue here that both models of dialogic praxis, visionary and missionary, are necessary to help citizens in the American democratic republic reclaim a shared sense of values that enable them to see each other not as enemies but as neighbors. Freire called dialogic praxis a “radical pedagogy” that I contend is needed to address the root causes of American political violence.