Defined by Paulo Freire as the act of becoming aware or conscious of the workings of power in everyday affairs. The realisation of the nature and impact of hegemony,of oppression and of cultural and political impositions in what had previously been thought of as politically neutral or value-free aspects of everyday life. For instance, the realisation that the field of knowledge and education is socially constructed to maintain and reproduce existing power relationships.and that knowledge itself is shaped by relations of power is to come to a state of conscientisation.

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