CHAPTER 2

Adult Literacy and Popular Libraries

To speak of adult literacy and popular libraries is to speak of the problems of reading and writing: not reading and writing words in and of themselves, as if the reading and writing of words did not imply another reading, anterior to and simultaneous with the first, the reading itself. The critical comprehension of literacy, which involves the equally critical comprehension of reading, demands the critical comprehension of reading, demands the critical comprehension of the library. However, upon speaking of a critical vision, authenticated in a practice of the same critical form of literacy, I not only recognize but also emphasize the existence of a contrary practice, an understanding that, in an essay published a long time ago, I called naive.

It would be tiresome to insist on points referred to on other occasions when I discussed the problems of literacy. Nevertheless, at the risk of repeating myself, I will try to clarify or reclarify what I call the critical practice and understanding of literacy, as opposed to the naive and so-called “astute” practice and understanding. The naive and astute, while identical from the objective point of view, differentiate themselves with respect to the subjectivity of their agents.

The myth of the neutrality of education — which leads to the negation of the political nature of the educational process, regarding it only as a task we do in the service of humanity in the abstract sense — is the point of departure for our understanding of the fundamental differences between a naive practice, an astute practice, and a truly critical practice.

From the critical point of view, it is as impossible to deny the political nature of the educational process as it is to deny the educational character of the political act. This does not mean, however, that the political nature of the educational process and the educational character of the political act drain the understanding of that process and this act. Just as a neutral education that claims to be at the service of humanity, of human beings in general, is impossible, so is a political practice devoid of educational meaning.

FREIRE, Paulo; MACEDO, Maldonado. Literacy: Reading the Word and the World. London: Routledge, 2005, p. 46. (Adapted).

After reading this excerpt from chapter 2 of the book titled Literacy: Reading the Word and the World, select the correct alternative that completes the sentence: Reading is