Intelectuais, burros ou super-professores? Os educadores populares em tempos de ajuste estrutural (Intellectuals, donkeys, or super-teachers? Popular educators in times of structural adjustment)

Gustavo Fischman

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Abstract

In the last decades, the Latin American governments have been implementing dramatic social and political transformations. The execution of the various structural reform and decentralization programs promoted profound transformations, not only in social and economic arenas but also in educational systems. The dominant pedagogical discourses have been looking for answers to the educational problems in the markets. Nonetheless, contrary to what this situation may have caused, the Latin American “popular education” professionals have not lost their vitality. This article examines the challenges and possibilities of popular education through: a) an analysis of the educational field after the impact of the structural reform programs, b) a critique of the Gramscian organic intelectual model as it is understood by many in popular education, and c) an examination of specific examples from a workshop on popular education in Argentina.