A Relational Ethic of Solidarity?

Abstract

At the center of critical pedagogy’s ethical description of the student-teacher relationship stands the contested — yet politically and existentially profound — concept, “solidarity.” Paulo Freire made solidarity the defining aspect of a radical educational ethic in the early pages of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, where he draws the distinction between “false generosity” and “true solidarity.” Bourgeois pedagogy, he argues, pretends to serve the interests of oppressed students while simultaneously defining them as “poor unfortunates” and excluding their knowledge from the curriculum. The teacher who joins oppressed students in “true solidarity,” in contrast, engages students as equals in praxis and pledges to work with the students to transform unjust institutions into institutions that allow all students to seek their own humanization. True solidarity is achieved only as teachers are able to abandon the interests of the oppressor group and commit themselves to a bond of unity with oppressed students. This fundamental vision of a teacher in solidarity with his or her students has enobled many educators who pursue their craft in hope that they can further the development of a better society. And for many critical educators, a commitment to solidarity with one’s students stands as an unquestioned maxim.