Myths and realities about the birth of the pedagogy of the oppressed: a conversation with direct witnesses to the writing of Paulo Freire in Chile

Abstract

This interview with two international figures, one of them Paulo Freire’s assistant during his years in Chile, seeks to clarify some aspects related to the translation and first circulation of Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The similarities and differences between the different translations of the book into Spanish and some circumstances of the translation into English of the book are also analyzed. Other aspects addressed in the interview are the genesis of the concept of "cultural action", a controversy about "conscientization", the political context of the circles in which Freire worked in Chile and his influence on Education in the United States.

Keywords Pedagogy of the Oppressed; Paulo Freire; cultural action; awareness