Paulo Freire’s Spirit Has Guided My Work : Confessions Of The Finnish Working-Class Academic

Abstract

Brazilian Paulo Freire is undoubtedly one of the most esteemed educational thinkers of the 20th century. Nevertheless, in Finland, my home country, Freire’s influence on educational research and policy has been relatively marginal. However, from a micro-historical perspective, Paulo Freire’s spirit has guided my and others’ academic work on the margins of the educational and social sciences in Finland. I this article, I ponder Freire’s influence on my scientific career and assess his general impact on the Finnish educational and social sciences.