CAN POST-STRUCTURALIST AND NEO-MARXIST APPROACHES BE JOINED?

Building composite approaches in critical educational theory and research

Abstract

Taking into consideration the important debate – about issues such as agency, identity, the nature of power and the state, and the meaning and possibility of emancipating policies – that has happened among post-structuralists and other critical theorists in education and related areas, this paper aims at assessing the terms of this debate, showing that the dialogue among these different thoughts, although sometimes characterized by polemic and misunderstanding, has been undoubtedly productive. Taking it into account, this paper highlights a set of broad themes that are analyzed in an attempt to join analytical post-structural and critical tools and, as a result, make them definitely serve social purposes and democratic education.