Prisons, Pedagogy, and Possibilities: An Application of Freire and hooks’ Educational Philosophies

Authors

  • Lindsay D. Scott University of New Mexico

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55370/dsj.v2i2.674

Keywords:

corrections, education, pedagogy, Freire, hooks

Abstract

This paper calls attention to educational opportunities inside of correctional facilities. Literature correlates a direct relationship between education and reduced recidivism (Esperian, 2010; Rand Corp., 2014; DOJ, 2016b). Using Freire and hooks’ educational philosophies I discuss how I engaged critical pedagogy while teaching incarcerated juvenile offenders. I found that the youth I worked with were eager for an educational experience that allowed them to critically engage with our social world and analyze their lived experiences. Teaching in this controlled environment was challenging. My autonomy was encroached upon, which offered me a unique insight into the daily lives of the inmates. Through dialogical interactions, my perceptions and assumptions about incarcerated youth were confronted and changed. A radical and transformative pedagogy created a space where the notion of freedom could be negotiated.

Author Biography

Lindsay D. Scott, University of New Mexico

Lindsay Scott is a Ph.D. student in Communication at the University of New Mexico. Her area of study includes critical intercultural communication, feminist theory, community engaged praxis, and critical pedagogy.

 

References

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Published

2017-07-14

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2017)

Section

Articles

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