FROM THE WORD TO LIBERATION – LITERACY, AWARENESS AND PAULO FREIRE'S TRANSFORMATIVE PRAXIS

Abstract

Paulo Freire is one of the main theorists of critical education, having developed a method that transcended borders and influenced pedagogical practices in several countries. His thinking is based on the principle that the construction of knowledge occurs through dialogue and the exchange of experiences, in which the "other" plays an essential role. For Freire, literacy is not restricted to the technical domain of reading and writing, but is an emancipatory process that enables the individual to see beyond what is imposed on him, allowing him to question and transform reality. In view of this, the theorist outlined that only from literacy is it possible to reach a level of critical awareness that allows the subject to perceive "the unknown". Only after this awareness, the human being, as a historical and social subject, becomes capable of developing a transformative praxis. Thus, we question: how can Freire's literacy be understood as an act of liberation that drives processes of awareness and social transformation? To analyze this relationship between literacy, awareness and praxis, we turn to the works of Paulo Freire (1967; 1974; 1979; 2000; 2011) and other authors who dialogue with his perspective. Methodologically, we used a qualitative approach based on Minayo (2006), with a descriptive character based on Gil (2008) and a comprehensive perspective based on the thought of Weber (2009). The results of the study indicate that literacy, when conceived from Freire's perspective, is not reduced to the simple decoding of words, but is configured as a process of awareness capable of breaking with oppressive structures. Transformative praxis thus emerges as a necessary unfolding of the critical reading of reality, enabling the construction of autonomous subjects engaged in social transformation. In this way, the relevance of liberating education in the fight against alienation and marginalization is reaffirmed, reinforcing the need for pedagogical practices that promote the emancipation of students.