Pedagogy of the Oppressed

In most cases the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed, the oppressor is always the dominant one. The oppressor represents the act of dehumanization. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, dehumanize is to deprive of human qualities such as individuality or compassion. In oppressed-oppressor relationships, the oppressor is doing just that. They criticize people they feel are of lower status then them or may behave in a way they are on familiar with. If they feel intimated by the person because of there own ignorance, instead of trying to understand, they judge and/or place them in different categories based on stereotypes. So in a sense the oppressor is dehumanizing themselves because of these acts. I don’t feel that the oppressors always know that they are doing so. Over time it becomes habit. I feel the oppressor is really insecure about themselves, and that is what starts this relationship. They too may have been the oppressed one before. While b...