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Introduction The field of education has benefited from the thoughts and ideas of many people. Seneca and Freire are two good examples of such benefactors. Seneca, in one of the many letters through which most of his ideas came to be known, discredits the notion that liberal education per se is of any use.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Re-evaluating Freire and Seneca specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Education for him would only be meaningful if it contributed towards improving one’s character. For liberal education however, this does not form the goal. Freire on the other hand, feels that there should be a shift in pedagogy in order to get rid of the inequality that characterizes the student-teacher relationship. This, he asserts, could only happen if there was rupture from the narrative based content delivery to methods that were more imitative of dialogue. This essay seeks to show that while Seneca†™s ideas have been invaluable to the development of the field of education, they would today be easily found obsolete. Freire’s ideas, on the other hand, remain as venerable as ever; his recommendations however borders on the impracticality of the structured contemporary education context. Seneca’s argument Seneca was a thoroughgoing stoic. Stoicism is a belief in the supremacy of reason over passion and the inherent value that is to be found in virtue (Castellano). Material possession and social standing were of little value to stoics as neither helped advance virtue (Castellano). The philosophy of stoicism was of a great influence in Seneca’s conceptualization of education and what its aims ought to be (Bilson). For this reason, Seneca felt that education should have had the edification of character as its only aim. His perception of the liberal arts, therefore, was not kind at all. He felt that liberal education turned people into â€Å"pedantic, irritatin g, tactless, self-satisfied bores (who) spend their life learning things they’ll never need† (Seneca). Knowing for its own sake, as the goal of liberal studies to Seneca constituted a worthless aim. For him, worthwhile education was that which helped one achieve attributes such as bravery, self-control, loyalty and wisdom (Seneca). Thus, he posited that the study of the liberal arts such as poetry, philosophy, music and geometry would be of use only if it was done as preparation for the acquisition of moral values (Seneca). That he attached little meaning to the study of liberal arts hardly means that he had a soft spot for vocational education. He felt nothing but contempt for the acquisition of skills for the sake of profiting from them (Seneca). He felt that one should engage in vocational skills for the reason that they are central to the survival of humans.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% O FF Learn More To make a vocation, a lifelong pursuit was for him utterly contemptible and such an endeavor should only be undertaken if one was mentally incapable of pursuing goals of a higher nature (Seneca). Such was the philosophy of Seneca, which as we shall see next remarkably differs with that of Freire. Freire’s argument Freire, on the other hand, was concerned with the classroom practice of education. He felt that the student teacher dichotomy that existed in the practice of education in Brazil was reflective of the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed since in this system â€Å"knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing† (Freire). Because it was based on the narrative technique, the teacher played narrator while the students made up the audience. In such a setup, the teacher was an all-knowing, inviolate being while the student was his meek and ignorant subj ect (Freire). The students in this analogy were like containers that needed to be filled with knowledge by the teacher (Freire). Thus, the teaching process involved the depositing of knowledge by the teacher into the students’ heads while the students’ role was to memorize the facts given to them by the teacher and to give them back when it was required during testing. Teaching, therefore, as can be inferred, was a one sided affair since it was teacher rather than student oriented. In order to address this problem, Freire posited that a method that was akin to dialogue should be adopted (Freire). This was the only way to ensure that communication between the teacher and learners took place and that the dynamic nature of knowledge would be captured. Comparison of the two arguments A shallow conceptualization of Freire’s theory might mislead one to think that his main concern was pedagogy. However, the essence of Freire’s work was the appropriation of the e ducation process to free the oppressed. As such, both Freire and Seneca comprehend education as a means to an end: the end being freedom for Freire and Virtue for Seneca. The two are however different in that while Freire aspired for an egalitarian society, Seneca supported elitism. Freire acknowledged the unequal nature of society and divided society into two groups: the oppressors and the oppressed (Freire). It is the difference between these two groups that he sought to address using education.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Re-evaluating Freire and Seneca specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Seneca, on the other hand, does not only acknowledge elitism but seems to suggest that it is occasioned by nature. By positing that the vocational aspects of society should be left to those who were not adequately gifted mentally to pursue higher goals, he endorses the notion that elitism is occasioned by nature (Dickens). Seneca would probably agree with Freire’s idea on pedagogy. His apparent silence on pedagogy does not mean that he would not appreciate the best possible ways of achieving his aims of education. Freire, on the other hand, might disagree with Seneca’s ideas, especially regarding Seneca’s natural basis for the existence of the two classes of the oppressors and the oppressed. The Viability of their Ideas In the contemporary education context, Seneca’s ideas would be found, to some extent, a little outdated, but useful as well. While virtue might not carry as much importance today as it did to the stoics of Seneca’s time, it nonetheless is still considered a worthwhile pursuit. Liberal arts would, however, hardly be found to be antithetical to virtue. Broad based knowledge is actually seen as means to acquire refinement and sophistication. It is also to be found at the very core of the concept of the contemporary educated person (Bilson). The pursuit o f a single goal in the acquisition of education would also be found narrow-minded. That is why most institutions of higher learning today offer broad based education that not only offers specialized employable skills but also basics in fields such as rhetoric, philosophy and communication skills. As such, Seneca’s ideas would be found obsolete by many contemporary education practitioners. Seneca’s concerns regarding utility as an education goal are however useful to the extent that overemphasis on personal fulfillment would potentially strip education of its utility. Seneca felt that we should know only that which is useful for us to know and not a modicum more (Seneca). Due to the fact that the education process presents financial investment from the state, the private individual or both, it of necessity required to eventually result in tangible returns for society. Liberal education however does not have productivity as its end. Investing in something that isnâ€℠¢t needful and bears society no benefits at all would therefore not be sensible at all. For this reason, liberal education per se should best not be catered for by society but rather by the individual who undergoes it. At the same time, the idea of knowledge as its own end begs for some limits to be set. Would it be worthwhile to spend the whole of one’s resources on knowledge that is of no use to anyone other than the one who pursues it? This kind of endeavor would be found of little value to the individual or to the society. Therefore, Seneca’s ideas comes in handy if such limits have to be set and if liberal education is to live up to its usefulness to the pursuit of liberal arts.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The ideas proposed by Freire are no doubt meaningful in the contemporary world. Their practical value is however beset with concerns of a fundamental nature. Foremost, the question of how best to impart knowledge remains the preserve of theory showing that conclusive pedagogical answers to the question are yet to be achieved. Freire’s recommendations might, however, be too idealistic to have any practical use. There is a reason why what Freire described as the ‘banking concept of education’ is still being practiced in today’s classrooms. In spite of the many problems associated with it, it still remains the most practical means of classroom teaching. This is in view of the current unsatisfactory teacher-student ratios. The use of dialogical teaching methods would best work if more informal education setups were adopted. For instance, it has been argued that to deem the teacher and student equal in a formal classroom setup would be rather wishful (Baldisson e). This is in view of the fact that formal education is based on the difference in understanding between the teacher and the student (Baldissone). As such, the teacher’s assertions always carry more weight than those of the students. To therefore claim to practice Freire’s dialogical methods would largely be found to be mere rhetoric. At the same time, the dialogical method has been found unusable in the teaching of particular subject areas. The method is based on the assumption that the teacher and students are flexible in the ideas that they hold and can therefore be prevailed upon to change if reasonable bases for doing so are presented. This is however not the case. For example, dialogical methods would not be successful if the teacher and students hold hard-line stances on the subject area (Baldissone). A good example of such a subject area is morality. Indeed, the formulation of Freire’s theory was flawed to the extent that while it originally had an info rmal education orientation, Freire ended up recommending its use in the context of structured curricular. The notion that education can be used as a means of liberation might also be rather wishful. This is especially so where it would be needed most: in poor countries. It should be understood that adopting Freire’s theory merely to change classroom practice would be to misunderstand its original goal. Freire meant for it to be used in a much broader scope; he meant it to be applied to arouse the consciousness of the oppressed in order for them to fully conceptualize their position in the social, cultural and historical contexts (Freire). In doing this, the oppressed would be humanized and freed. Conclusion It is clear that Seneca and Freire are quite different in their comprehension of the concept of education. Their only similarity lies in their focus on the outcomes of education. Considering the applicability of their ideas in the contemporary world, Seneca’s ideas are quite obsolete while Freire’s would only work in an informal context. Works Cited Bilson, Vic. â€Å"The nature of man.† 2011. Web. Baldissone, Riccardo. â€Å"Critical pedagogy and beyond.† 2008. Web. Castellano, Daniel. â€Å"Foundations of Ethics:† 2011. Web. Dickens, Peter. â€Å"Social Darwinism.† ThinkQuest. 2011. Web. Freire, Paulo. The Banking Concept of Education. New York: Norton Co. 2006. Print. Seneca, Lasalle. On Liberal and Vocational Study. New York: Norton Co. 2006. Print. This essay on Re-evaluating Freire and Seneca was written and submitted by user Ed1s0n to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Re Table of Contents Introduction History and the process of reentry process System and Policy Solutions as to strengthen various services Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Reentry refers to the issues related to the transition of ex-offenders from incarceration to community. Reentry comprises of all the efforts aimed at ensuring that those released from prison are able to relate well with the general society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Re-entry collateral consequences on education and housing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Collateral consequences of criminal charges or the â€Å"Four’Cs† are the indirect consequences of criminal convictions and â€Å"comprise a mixture federal, statutory and regulatory law as well as local policies and are part of arrest, prosecution or conviction but are not part of the sentence imposed† (National Crime Prevention Council 1). The essay looks at re entry collateral in details and the effects it has had on the community and individuals. The systems and policies being applied by organizations are analyzed. A discussion on how to improve the policies being implemented before they become laws is included in this article. History and the process of reentry process It can be correctly argued out that those who are involved in the reentry programs have one main goal of ensuring that the subjects integrate well with the society. It is significant that the returning person is able to fit well with the society as this will make it possible for him/her to avoid engaging in criminal activities. Some of the challenges the ex-prisoner is likely to face include housing, public safety, employment and families. Other challenges to reentry include problems with family relationships where if not already problematic, are often weakened by incarceration. Convicted felons have difficulty finding employment and this can be aggravated by prison exper iences (Irwin 1). Recidivism is the process whereby there is a tendency to re-lapse into previous criminal behavior; the individual characteristics that influence recidivism includes â€Å"demographic characteristics, prison experience, employment history, education level, criminal record, and substance abuse dependence† (The Heritage Foundation 1). It has been noted that recidivists tend to have a history of crime record which is traceable to their early ages when they were still young (The Heritage Foundation 1). Ex-prisoners have a lower rate of literacy than individuals in the general population, ex-prisoners also face unmet health and mental needs and housing issues due to legislation that bar the ex-convicts (National Crime Prevention Council 1). Some of the housing issues that ex-offenders face include: finding affordable rental housing, maximizing the use of existing housing resources and identifying and eliminating the stigma of ex-offenders in order to receive housi ng from the society (The Heritage Foundation 1).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It has been noted that families offer very significant support for the individuals who are entering the society from the prisons: â€Å"former prisoners living with their families are less likely to drop out of reentry programs compared to their counterparts who do not live with their families† (The Heritage Foundation 1). Collateral consequences mean legal, social and economic barriers to an individual reentry into his/her society: Although many individuals released from jail leave with the hope of a fresh start, these barriers make it difficult for the individual to integrate into the community and hence the reason why many ex-prisoners go back to jail. (Irwin 1) Elsewhere collateral consequences have been described as: â€Å"Invisible punishments, unseen and often devastating, largely hidden a nd unspoken until it is too late† (National Crime Prevention Council 1). Collateral consequences are indirect consequences of criminal convictions and comprise â€Å"a mixture federal and statutory and regulatory law as well as local policies† (National Crime Prevention Council 1). The second chance act signed into law by president Bush is a response to a glowing crisis in the United States of America faced by ex-prisoners once they are out of jail. It has made significant improvement but a lot needs to be done by community groups, county governments, state governments, church welfare groups and nongovernmental organizations for it to fully succeed and its impact felt in the society. The act recognizes the need for comprehensive and integrated services. It is a benchmark for reentry programs and policies for the federal government to intervene in a growing crisis (The Heritage Foundation 1). The government has made significant funding since the act become law and signif icant impact has been felt where the program has been initiated and in most cases the results from such an initiation has been a great success.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Re-entry collateral consequences on education and housing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It should be noted that, â€Å"the act did expand the federal government’s role in the reentry process by creating grants for states to implement prisoner reentry programs; the Act authorized $330 million for prisoner reentry programs during fiscal years 2009 and 2010† (National Crime Prevention Council 1). More laws have been passed in relations of the reentry: Congress also passed laws that temporarily or permanently disqualified persons convicted of felony and drug related oddness from receiving certain federal welfare benefits and disqualified those convicted of any drug related offences in the country from receiving federal educati onal grants. In addition, congress passed laws declaring individuals and their households ineligible for federal housing assistance if they have been convicted of specified criminal activity. Moreover congress did give local authorities vast discretion to local housing authorities to establish standards regarding criminal records (National Crime Prevention Council 1). System and Policy In this section a reports on an identified system and policy connected with that system that affects incarcerated, former incarcerated and family members is briefly discussed. Montgomery county has come up with policies, program and a system that offers ex-prisoners a second chance. The system and policy at the Montgomery has registered a significant success and therefore will be a good example to study. Re-entry efforts in Montgomery County in Ohio have been a good study for policy and law makers, it is a success story of an effective well managed program. The re-entry task force in the county assemb led an extensive collaborative force of over 200 community leaders from different professions including ex offenders for their valuable insight into the issue and how the community would benefit from their insight (Montgomery County). The re-entry task force accomplished its work through a combination of several work groups including children, families, continuum of care, employment, housing, legal issues and advocacy, pre/post-release services and technical teams. Re-entry programs in Ohio were 246 in 2009 (Montgomery County). The Montgomery county has been providing a variety of specialized rehabilitative services, which include providing common pleas court system that focuses on encouraging ex-offenders to succeed as law abiding citizens without first going to prison, this program seeks to address whatever dysfunction has resulted in the offender committing the crime, other program include residential drug intervention services, education and employment opportunities, specialized supervision of felony, non support cases and community drug intervention and education.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Specialized services include life support that focuses on providing necessary skills that affect positive behavioural changes such as male’s issues group, emergency assistance and alternatives to violence program (Montgomery County 1). Other specialized programs include case management where there is an individual and group contact between offenders and community control officers, others include secure transitional offender program and felony non support court which is a specialized court that was implemented in an effort to ensure payment of court-ordered child support obligations. Stop the violence me is a program designed to educate men on violence, power and control in relationships and empathy for the victim. To ensure that the efforts make some significant achievement, a number of local, non profit agencies are given financial support to assist the re-entry population (Montgomery County 1). Montgomery County has also provided services to ex offenders who are part of Mon tgomery County â€Å"call in sessions†; these sessions offer individuals a chance to turn their lives around and provide services to those who are willing to do so including case management, job training and educational services. A number of community based providers also offer services to ex offenders; the council also assists a few non profit agencies with financial support to assist the re-entry population such as Dayton urban league, action partnership, Salvation Army booth house, mercy manor and volunteers of America (Montgomery County). Solutions as to strengthen various services Re-entry services must be offered in a coordinated fashion, the re-entry system is usually a complex network made up of many interdependent systems. We simply cannot afford to have these various systems and services working in isolation. Hence, all agencies and organizations – both public and private – will need to be engaged in service coordination in order to respond to the many barriers encountered by the ex-offender upon their release into society. Only Complete service integration through a network of community partnerships will be vital in ensuring that these efforts are to be successful in the future and have positive impacts on both the community and ex offender (Montgomery County). Another factor that demonstrates the importance of public-private partnerships is the fact that the government cannot fund this initiative on its own as the government cannot participate everywhere. Many years of experience have shown that with governmental programs of all types, public money eventually dries up. This is true for both governmental funding used to initiate new services as well as governmental funding used to leverage funds from the private sector for the continuation of services. This results in services decreasing and later ceasing to exist. To counteract this occurrence, the community must exhibit a sincere investment in a particular service and bear a s ignificant portion of the necessary funding. It is only through public-private partnerships that sustainability is even a possibility (Montgomery County 1). The Ohio prisons have realized that it may not be possible to always rehabilitate all convicts in the system and have consequently partnered with the Montgomery County to reduce recidivism and bring attention to the state of reentry in Ohio hence the need for increased cooperation (Montgomery County 1). There is a need to increase the number of transitional, supportive, and affordable ex-offender housing opportunities in Montgomery County for high-risk groups (i.e., individuals with sex offenses on their criminal record, mental health disorders, and/or substance dependency) as well as for families and children (Montgomery County 1). It would be wise if an assessment for the needs of each inmate is carried such that the same can be consistently followed upon being released from prison. When possible, applications and steps toward accessing student loans and other financing will take place prior to release so as to aid in education (Montgomery County 1). There should be negotiation with the local housing authority to recommend that families and children are given a preference on the waiting lists. There is also a need to develop supportive housing units that will supply needed services and appropriate transitional housing for up to one year (Irwin 1). Develop a program for ex-offenders to use â€Å"sweat equity† to rehabilitate homes which might otherwise be demolished, similar to the Habitat for Humanity model (Irwin 1). Develop a Housing Locator containing informational materials to be given to ex-offenders before they are released that includes available housing opportunities based upon eligibility criteria, this will lead to former prisoners having shelter and help reduce crime recurrence from such ex-convicts (Irwin 1). A needs assessment must be conducted with each inmate prior to release and it should be incorporated in the Reentry Plan and consistently followed up when the prisoner is released into the community (Irwin 1). It would be significant if courts are given more discretion in determining treatment options and authorizing early discharge from special probation for individuals who make exceptional progress (Irwin 1). Conclusion For there to be successful reentry program and effective policies and systems, there must be effective partnership between the community, ex-prisoners, government, non-profit groups and also inmates themselves to avoid ex-convicts going back to jail. Well implemented reentry programs have helped former prisoners to integrate back to the community and contribute to the growth of the community positively and also become role models for recidivists and prisoners. Works Cited Irwin, John. The Warehouse Prison: Disposal of the New Dangerous Class. NY: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. Montgomery County. Reentry Report. Montgomery County, 201 1. Web. National Crime prevention council. Prisoner Reentry Presentation. NCPC, 2007. Web. The Heritage Foundation. Secodn Chance Act. The Herotage Foundatio, 2011. Web. https://www.heritage.org/. This essay on Re-entry collateral consequences on education and housing was written and submitted by user Spider-Woman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Re