"Making a Stand" Against Neoliberalism: Connections Between Critical Pedagogy and the "Green Tides" Movement for State Education in Spain. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Martínez-Rodríguez, Francisco Miguel
• Is Part Of: Cultural studies, critical methodologies. Volume 19:Number 5(2019)
• Page Start: 360
• Page End: 372
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: critical pedagogy -- social movements -- neoliberalism -- active citizenship -- "Green Tides" for state education; Culture -- Research -- Periodicals; Popular culture -- Research -- Periodicals; 306.05
• DOI: 10.1177/1532708618809119
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1532-7086

Abstract

The global economic crash of 2007, the "structural reforms" and "austerity" policies, together with neoliberal processes have led, in recent years, to the emergence in Spain of a number of social movements, which are demanding greater democracy. One such movement is the "Green Tides" for the State Education in Spain, which has developed a series of proposals, from critical discourses in education, in the form of practices of resistance against neoliberal logic. In this article, we analyze this initiative, in particular in connection with some of the basic dimensions of critical pedagogy. Based on a critical analysis of discourse approach, we link the Green Tides' manifesto and beliefs to dimensions of critical pedagogy. In addition, we show how these groups have developed what Flesher Fominaya calls practices of "prefigurative politics, " which aim to find social alternatives to the mantra of cuts in social rights, austerity policies, and other neoliberalization processes.