Freirean critical consciousness in a refugee context: a case study of Syrian refugees in Jordan |
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| Authors: | Arran Magee |
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| Institution: | UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK |
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| Abstract: | This paper argues that education underpinned by critical pedagogies offers an alternative for engaging with the complexities of conflict, peace and social transformation in refugee contexts. Drawing upon a semi-ethnographic qualitative study with a focus on a non-formal educational programme for supporting Jordanian and Syrian refugee youth, we find that participatory pedagogies provide a promising mechanism for reaching out-of-school refugees in host communities. However, a series of intersecting factors, namely the perception that empowerment education is antithetical to the goal of gaining certification, leads to manipulation of the pedagogies. Hence, empowerment education risks being co-opted by the ‘banking model’ of education. The paper critiques the dominant market-oriented education and suggests an alternative approach to engage with challenges in refugee contexts. |
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| Keywords: | Refugee education Jordan Syrian crisis critical pedagogies social transformation |
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