Date of Award

5-19-2019

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department

Latin American, Latino & Caribbean Studies

First Advisor

Marcelo Borges

Language

English

Abstract

The scholarship surrounding social change within movements is largely geared toward studying heated moments of contestation and their ability to spark social and systemic alternatives. But in order to fully understand their possibilities and processes for change, we must also pay attention to the “day after” the contestation or fight, and study the seemingly small but consistent work that goes into creating a meaningful difference in society. In this thesis, I explore the lived experiences of those involved with critical pedagogy in the Rural Landless Workers Movement (MST) in order to unearth the threads that connect them to agroecology in the day-to-day lives of Lagoa do Mineiro, a rural community in the northeastern state of Ceará. In particular, I analyze how these threads inform social and political resistance at Lagoa do Mineiro’s high school, thus contributing to what Paulo Freire termed an emancipatory education intended to transform society. This form of education that is so clearly linked to social change and the emancipation of the working class in rural areas is essential to study carefully and thoroughly if we are to strengthen and support it. Furthermore, by looking at a local example in context, this thesis underscores the importance of critical education geared toward agricultural and land issues facing local and global communities today.

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