Understanding Society AND The Making Of A Better World

The World is getting so complex and difficult to fathom, and many us are forced to just accept what is happening as the rich and powerful rule over us. The majority of us are marginalised, oppressed and poor. And the rich is just getting richer while the poor is getting poorer. All this also at the expense of ill health and a polluted, sick environment which is being destroyed.

PAOLO FREIRE argued that CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS is a must if we are to build a better world. He meant that we must have had the ability to recognize the economic, political and social contradictions that create, benefit and maintain an oppressive social order.

Freire says that there are 3 levels of consciousness:

> The lowest stage of consciousness is when people believes that they can’t change their life, and that fate is out of their hands and that it is a matter of luck. Most of us are at this level as we struggle to survive and are diverted away from questioning by the exciting distractions and escapism in our consumerism, materialism, entertainment, alcoholism, drugs, sports, gaming and more. More religious people would believe that only god make changes in their life so they put no effort into changing things. So things do not change to become better or fairer.

> The second/middle stage is when the people is slightly empowered. They have the mind to change things but they are pessimistic and deal with problems that arise one at a time. They also naively follow strong leaders (politicians) who they hope to make the change so that they don’t have to.

> The final stage is when people demonstrate the highest level of thought and action. THEY BELIEVE THAT THEMSELVES CAN MAKE CHANGES.

Critical consciousness can also be described as having the following qualities.

POWER AWARENESS – knowing who has the power in society.

CRITICAL LITERACY – having an analytical mind and way of speaking, writing, thinking, reading and discussing and understanding deeper meaning.

DE-SOCIALIZATION – Recognising and challenging stereotypes in society such as wealth/class, racism, sexism etc.

SELF ORGANIZATION/SELF EDUCATION – Taking initiative to make the changes needed in an undemocratic society and overcoming the anti-intellectualism of mass education