I’m enjoying reading Psychology of Liberation: Theory and Applications, edited by Maritza Montero and Christopher Sonn. But especially inspiring is the work of Ignacio Martin-Baro, the primary founder of liberation psychology. He was eventually murdered because of his work in critical social psychology. He was 47.
Here’s his explanation of Freire’s term “conscientization” (one of the most important words ever created):
“The human being is transformed through changing his or her reality, by means of an active process of dialogue in which there is a gradual decoding of the world, as people grasp the mechanisms of oppression and dehumanization. This opens up new possibilities for action where new knowledge of the surrounding reality leads to new self-understanding about the roots of what people are at present and what they could become.” (PL, 56)
You can read his work in Writings for a Liberation Psychology.
I’ll post more quotes along the way….
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Carol Kingston-Smith |
Thanks for this! It seems to me that the linking of the (liberation) process of conscientisation with the renewing of the mind by the SPIRIT OF GOD is an important connector between the salvation narrative of liberation theology and that of pax pneuma which sees the prophetic tradition of the OT culminating in the life and work of Jesus Christ…its great to hear of this website and blog!