Themes are found in the human-world relation, not in people or reality alone.

Evidence

It can only be apprehended in the human-world relationship. To investigate the generative theme is to investigate people’s thinking about reality and people’s action upon reality, which is their praxis. For precisely this reason, the methodology proposed requires that the investigators and the people (who would normally be considered objects of that investigation) should act as co-investigators. The more active an attitude men and women take in regard to the exploration of their thematics, the more they deepen their critical awareness of reality and, in spelling out those thematics, take possession of that reality. — Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 305

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines both ‘generative theme’ (human-world relation) and ‘praxis’ (thinking plus action on reality) — two core concepts needed for the redesign.
• XREF: The co-investigator requirement is the practical answer to the reader’s concern about a new vanguard: the facilitator can’t monopolize the correct consciousness if the people co-investigate.