ABSTRACT
This chapter will explore two broad themes. The first is the significance of contemporary ‘social movements’ for social and political change in a relatively developed North American country, Canada. The second is the general relevance of the ideas of the renowned Brazilian education theorist and practitioner Paulo Freire to these social and political change strategies in one pocket of the highly developed North American economy and society. The final purpose is to assess the intersignificance of these two themes: do the new social movements-peace, environment, ecology, women’s rights, social justice, rights of the disabled and of prisoners, and so on-have potential for progressive social transformation as some claim; and are the ideas advanced by Paulo Freire, which were primarily or originally focused on other social, cultural and economic contexts, germane to whatever potential these social movements may have?
