© 2011 Viviana Olga Pitton
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CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship Repository © 2011 Viviana Olga Pitton NEOLIBERALIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY DISCOURSES IN CHILE BY VIVIANA OLGA PITTON DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy Studies in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2012 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Fazal Rizvi, Chair Professor Cameron McCarthy, Contingent Chair Professor Michael Peters Associate Professor Faranak Miraftab Abstract In an age of globalization dominated by a neoliberal ideology, many scholars have studied the effects of a market-driven model on education systems in different parts of the world. They have focused on the scope and effects of neoliberalism on school funding, governance, student and school performance, among others. These works, however, have paid less attention to the transformations of neoliberalism or to the language used to reshape educational policies in market terms. Building upon literature which emphasizes neoliberalism’s fluid nature and historic contingency and recognizes the struggles and compromises through which its meaning is both reconfigured and reasserted in different contexts, this dissertation looks at the way in which neoliberal ideas were rearticulated in Chile’s new General Law of Education (LGE). The LGE can be regarded as a response to the shortcomings of the neoliberal logic embedded in its predecessor, the Constitutional Organic Law of Education (LOCE), a law promoting school competition and privatization which became the target of virulent student protests in April of 2006 because of its ill effects on disadvantaged students. At a time when education systems around the world are dealing with the shortcomings of neoliberalism and trying to reconcile equity concerns with a salient emphasis on competition and quality performance, this work provides some insights about the tensions and challenges involved in articulating the former with the later through a discursive analysis of the LGE. It also emphasizes that while global neoliberal frameworks might contribute to shape national policy discourses, understanding their intricacies, the meanings and articulations of the words chosen, and ultimately, their solutions, requires considering the forces involved in the policy creation, their discursive struggles, along with their compromises and value trade-offs. ii To my family, who gave me the courage to dream, taught me to be patient and persevere and loved me unconditionally during this journey. iii Acknowledgments I owe my deepest gratitude to Dr. Fazal Rizvi who served not only as my advisor but also encouraged, guided and unequivocally supported me throughout my studies. I could not have written this dissertation without his unremitting mentorship even during his hardest times (I will always remember his concern for my research progress when he was sick…) I am equally grateful to Dr. Cameron McCarthy, whose generosity of spirit, thoughtful and timely comments and unbreakable faith (in this project and myself) were instrumental to make it to the finish line. I am also profoundly thankful to Dr. Michael Peters, whose intellectual curiosity, academic passion and insights on neoliberalism set the tone and standards for this study. I have to extend my sincere gratefulness as well to the final member of my committee, Dr. Faranak Miraftab, whose remarks about the importance of giving voice to those who are often excluded in the policymaking process made a lasting impact on me and put my reflexivity to work during this study. In addition to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of my committee members, I need to recognize my indebtedness to Dr. James Anderson, the head of the Educational Policy Studies (EPS) Department, who in spite of his busy schedule always made time to meet EPS students, listen to our needs and advice us to the best of his ability. Alongside my gratitude to Dr. Anderson, I need to acknowledge my fondest appreciation for Dr. William Trent, whose moral leadership, policy work and scholarship left an indelible mark in my personal and career aspirations. I am also indebted to Dr. Christopher Span, whose insights on interpretive research were crucial during the selection of my research specialization. Last, but not least, I am grateful to the entire EPS department, from the faculty to the assistants, because without their work and dedication this study would have not been possible. iv My sincerest recognition needs to be extended to Dr. Norma Scagnoli, my first friend in Chambana, my university compass and my connection to my beloved country. By sharing her own experience as a doctoral student, understanding (and dissipating) my fears and encouraging me during the toughest times, she made this journey not only bearable but also memorable. I am also profoundly grateful to Dr. Lydia Buki, who introduced me to the world of qualitative research and allowed me to collaborate in her projects. Working with her I discovered my research vocation and received plenty of encouragement and orientation about the academic life and the art of publication. Another person who deserves a heartfelt acknowledgment is my friend Vero, now Dr. Pomata, a sweet and loving caregiver for my daughter during my TOEFL preparation. Without her help with my little girl, it is very unlikely that I could have made it this far. Finally, it is time to acknowledge my family, who stood by me through thick and thin, who never complained, who always was willing to postpone, to delay, to wait for me. To my daughter Agustina, I owe many playdates, many games, many school plays. I need to acknowledge her forgiving understanding in spite of her young age. To my beloved husband, I owe many anniversary and birthday celebrations, many homemade meals, many good times. I need to acknowledge his loving companionship, his patience with my deadlines and “paper- moods” and, most importantly, his unyielding faith and trust in me. Even when living at a long distance, and despite its unhappiness with my choice to live and study abroad, my family in Argentina never stopped supporting and celebrating my achievements. Moreover, the work ethic and moral example of my mom Zulma and my late dad Pedro have been a constant in my life, even as a researcher. I am certain that without the love and virtual closeness of my sister Vanesa, v my nephews Juani and Fran and the rest of my extended family, this academic journey would have been nothing short of sad and unfruitful. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL POLICIES UNDER GLOBAL NEOLIBERALISM ...................................................................................................................... 13 DEFINING NEOLIBERALISM .................................................................................................................... 13 EDUCATIONAL POLICIES UNDER THE NEOLIBERAL INTERPRETATION OF GLOBALIZATION ................... 21 CHAPTER 3: EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEOLIBERAL PROJECT IN CHILE (1973-2009) ...................................................................................................................... 39 PINOCHET’S DICTATORSHIP: THE DAWN OF NEOLIBERAL EDUCATION REFORMS (1973-1990) ............. 39 CHILE POST-DICTATORSHIP: DEMOCRATIC REVISIONS OF NEOLIBERALISM (1990-2009) ..................... 55 CHAPTER 4: A CRITICAL DISCURSIVE APPROACH TO CHILE’S GENERAL EDUCATION LAW (LGE) .......................................................................................................... 88 REFLECTIONS ON POLICY ANALYSIS: PERSPECTIVES AND THEORETICAL INFLUENCES ......................... 88 DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL POLICY ....................................................... 97 MAKING ONE’S POSITIONALITY EXPLICIT: THE IMPORTANCE OF REFLEXIVITY IN POLICY ANALYSIS 104 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH ............................................................................................................ 109 CHAPTER 5: THE POLITICAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE LGE ........................................ 119 ORIGINS AND NEGOTIATION OF THE LGE ............................................................................................ 119 STRUCTURE OF THE LGE ..................................................................................................................... 137 DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY .............................................................................................. 138 COMPARISON WITH THE LOCE. ........................................................................................................... 149 DISCURSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY ................................................................................................ 155 CHAPTER 6: MAKING EQUITY AND QUALITY WORK: TENSIONS AND CHALLENGES ..................................................................................................................................................... 166 ARTICULATING THE OLD WITH THE NEW: CONTRADICTIONS AND EMERGING INTERPRETATIONS OF EQUITY ................................................................................................................................................. 166 CENTRALITY OF QUALITY ISSUES AND MONITORING: