Article Title

The Relevance of Unmasking Neoliberal Narratives for a Decolonized Human Rights and Peace Education

Authors

Bettina GruberFollow
Josefine Scherling, University College of Teacher Education, Viktor FranklFollow

Author Bio

Bettina Gruber was head of the Center for Peace Research and Peace Education at the Institute of Educational Sciences at the University of Klagenfurt for several years until June 2020. She is a contemporary historian and peace educator and she has had the position of a senior scientist until her retirement in October 2020. Her research focuses on peace, peace education, participation, migration in communities and neoliberalism; together with colleagues she published amongst others the annual book series ‘Culture of Peace’ and she researched on the topic of applied peace and democracy education. She lives in Carinthia, Austria. Bettina.Gruber@aau.at

Josefine Scherling is a researcher and teacher educator at the University College of Teacher Education, Viktor Frankl in Klagenfurt, Austria and a lecturer at the Centre of Peace Research and Peace Education at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and Global Citizenship Education, and a PhD in Human Rights Education. In her research, she focuses on Human Rights/Children’s Rights (Education), Global Citizenship (Education) and Civic Education. In her recently published book she critically examines Human Rights Education and its reference to the future dimension, and develops basic principles of a future oriented Human Rights Education. josefine.scherling@ph-kaernten.ac.at

Abstract

Education plays an important role in the dissemination of neoliberal narratives. The neoliberal approach to education focuses on human capital and subordinates people to the pure logic of the market. It shapes educational processes in a considerable way, including Human Rights Education (HRE) and Peace Education (PE). The conscious perception and unmasking of the prevailing neoliberal paradigm should therefore be a high priority in a critical approach to HRE and PE. On the basis of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in which HRE and PE are considered vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the authors show that it is essential to combine the question of a genuine decolonization of HRE and PE with a critical examination of the neoliberal paradigm.

Creative Commons License

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Recommended Citation

Gruber, B., & Scherling, J. (2020). The Relevance of Unmasking Neoliberal Narratives for a Decolonized Human Rights and Peace Education. International Journal of Human Rights Education, 4(1). Retrieved from https://repository.usfca.edu/ijhre/vol4/iss1/3