Freire’s utopian pedagogy is simultaneously realistic about the world and risky for opponents.

Evidence

However, for Freire (1975/2000), utopia was not only a political and theological concept, but it was the orientation one must have in their approach to teaching. He called his pedagogical philosophy “a utopian pedagogy” because “it is filled with hope” as it engages students and their teachers in a collaborative process of denunciation and annunciation: analyzing their dehumanizing reality, fostering a commitment to change that reality, and working concretely for that change. Utopian pedagogy is not only “realistic” because it sees the world as it truly is, but also “risky” because it challenges individuals to challenge the status quo and work toward creating a more just, equitable, and liberating future in the face of fierce opposition from those who benefit from the status quo (pp. 28–29). — James D. Kirylo (ed.), Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 843

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines what Freire meant by utopian pedagogy — seeing reality as it is while challenging it.
• XREF: connects to: Utopian hope couples denunciation of the present order with annunciation of a new one. — James D. Kirylo (ed.), Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed:…, 839