Neoliberalism and the Contradictions of Freedom: Ideology, Subjectivity, and Critical Pedagogy

The idea of freedom is a central figure in the ideology of neoliberalism. In the contemporary context, neoliberals argue that rolling back regulations and the marketization of social life create more choices and thus more freedom. While this position in fact dissimulates the increasing powerlessness of ordinary people, it also has roots in older philosophical arguments-in particular in the work of the economist and philosopher F.A. Hayek, whose thought has been a central inspiration for neoliberal policy. I begin my discussion here with an analysis of his concept of freedom. I believe that the ideologeme of freedom is central to securing neoliberalism's persistent hegemony, and that it needs to be engaged by critics at some depth. In spite of the failures and suffering produced by neoliberalism in practice, it retains a moral appeal for many, and not only those who are its principal beneficiaries. This appeal rests on the supposed symbiosis-and even identification-of neoliberalism (and capitalism itself) with freedom. Therefore, a critical-theoretical investigation of the philosophical and ideological architecture of this equation is urgent. In this article, I undertake this investigation in order to reveal the specific structures of violence that are the actual and positive content of neoliberal freedom.Educatio

Inventando democracia. Ensino e união

Artículo traducido del original publicado en Abdi, A. A. y Carr, P. R. (Eds.). (2013). Educating for democratic consciousness. Nueva York: Peter Lang. Traductores: Inmaculada Gómez, Lina Marcela Pinilla e Irene Moreno-MedinaLa democracia liberal formal es ideológicamente falsa y fundamentalmente incorrecta respecto al tipo de comunidad a la que se refiere y la que pretende desarrollar. Por eso, en este artículo se presentan cuatro fuentes para pensar sobre el ser, la democracia y la comunidad: La idea del “ser-con” de Heidegger, El proyecto multitud de Hardt y Negri. La vulnerabilidad de Butler, y El paradigma planetario de Dussel y la idea de coexistencia de Mignolo. A continuación se reflexiona sobre cómo la experiencia de la práctica social y los movimientos educacionales pueden ayudarnos a imaginar un nuevo y más radical sentimiento tanto de la democracia como de comunidad. Finalmente se aportan sugerencias que constituyen puntos de partida para pensar en una pedagogía y en un currículum propios de una comunidad democrática, en lugar de ver los elementos fundamentales para la mismaThe formal liberal democracy is ideologically false and fundamentally wrong for the type of community to respect and seeking to develop for. In this article four sources to think about: being, democracy and community are presented: the idea of "being-with" Heidegger, the multitude project of Hardt and Negri, Butler's vulnerability, and The planetary paradigm of Dussel and the idea of coexistence of Mignolo. Here we reflect on how the experience of social practice and educational movements can help us to imagine a new and more radical feeling of democracy and community. Finally, suggestions are starting points for thinking about pedagogy and curriculum themselves in a democratic community, instead of seeing the fundamental elements for the same are providedNeste artigo quatro fontes são apresentados: ser, a democracia, ea comunidade: a noção "estar-com" de Heidegger, o projeto multidão de Hardt e Negri, a vulnerabilidade de Butler, e o paradigma planetário de Dussel ea noção de coexistência de Mignolo. Em seguida, refletimos sobre como a experiência da prática social e movimentos educacionais podem ajudar-nos a imaginar nova e mais radical da democracia e sentimento de comunidade. Finalmente, as sugestões são pontos de partida para o currículo e pedagogia pensando em si mesmos em uma comunidade democrática, em vez de ver os elementos essenciais para o mesmo são fornecido

ADding negative pRESSure to improve healING (the DRESSING trial): a RCT protocol

Introduction Obese women are more likely to develop a surgical site infection (SSI) following caesarean section (CS) than non-obese women. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is increasingly being used to reduce SSI with limited evidence for its effectiveness. Objectives To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of using NPWT in obese women having elective and semiurgent CS. Methods and analysis A multisite, superiority parallel pragmatic randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation. Women with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30, booked for elective and semiurgent CS at 4 Australian acute care hospitals will be targeted. A total of 2090 women will be enrolled. A centralised randomisation service will be used with participants block randomised to either NPWT or standard surgical dressings in a 1:1 ratio, stratified by hospital. The primary outcome is SSI; secondary outcomes include type of SSI, length of stay, readmission, wound complications and health-related quality of life. Economic outcomes include direct healthcare costs and cost-effectiveness, which will be evaluated using incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Data will be collected at baseline, and participants followed up on the second postoperative day and weekly from the day of surgery for 4 weeks. Outcome assessors will be masked to allocation. The primary statistical analysis will be based on intention-to-treat. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been obtained from the ethics committees of the participating hospitals and universities. The findings of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, national and international conference presentations

Colonialidade: dimensões-chave e implicações críticas

Emergindo da investigação sociológica e filosófica a respeito da história do encontro colonial na América Latina, a noção de colonialidade (assim como a teoria decolonial, campo mais amplo com a qual está agora associada) tornou-se um recurso teórico crucial para estudiosos de várias áreas. Investigações da estrutura e dos processos da colonialidade desafiam ideias amplamente aceitas sobre poder, conhecimento e identidade na modernidade, o que traz implicações significativas para a filosofia educacional. No entanto, os estudos sobre decolonialidade são menos conhecidos entre teóricos da educação do que a teoria pós-colonial, com a qual compartilha muitos interesses, mas também diferenças fundamentais. Em nossa apresentação das noções de colonialidade, descrevemos primeiro a história e as principais dimensões desta ideia. A segunda parte do artigo desenvolve várias das principais implicações da noção de colonialidade para estudiosos e educadores, com particular atenção para como essa tradição oferece uma forma de repensar categorias familiares para a Teoria Crítica e a Pedagogia

Towards a framework for critical citizenship education

Increasingly countries around the world are promoting forms of "critical" citizenship in the planned curricula of schools. However, the intended meaning behind this term varies markedly and can range from a set of creative and technical skills under the label "critical thinking" to a desire to encourage engagement, action and political emancipation, often labelled "critical pedagogy". This paper distinguishes these manifestations of the "critical" and, based on an analysis of the prevailing models of critical pedagogy and citizenship education, develops a conceptual framework for analysing and comparing the nature of critical citizenship

Toward critical pedagogies of the international? Student resistance, other-regardedness and self-formation in the neoliberal university

Anxieties regarding colonial and neoliberal education have generated multiple calls for critical international pedagogies. Scholars of critical pedagogy have analyzed the pedagogies of the neoliberal project, whose ethos and economic imperatives aim to produce apolitical consumers and future citizens. Such calls, this article argues, articulate a concern about other-regardedness, critiquing the impact of neoliberalism on the cultivation of student values and relations toward politics, society, and others. How can we articulate a critical international pedagogy informed by, and enhancing, students’ and future citizens’ other-regardedness toward those “superfluous” and “disposable” others outside the classroom and the formal curriculum? To this end, we mobilize Michel Foucault’s thinking of “counter-conduct” to illuminate how students resist being conducted as self-interested and apolitical consumers. Such practices remain largely unexplored in examinations of recent student protests and occupations. Examining the 2005 student occupation of a French university against the local government’s abandonment of asylum-seekers, we discuss students’ own processes of social participation and self-formation, thus exploring the possibilities and tensions for advancing a critical and other-regarding pedagogy. Greater attention to students resisting the historically blind and market-driven rationalities and techniques of governing—inside and outside classrooms and curricula—marks an important point of departure for critical pedagogies of the international

Principles of Periodontology

Periodontal diseases are among the most common diseases affecting humans. Dental biofilm is a contributor to the etiology of most periodontal diseases. It is also widely accepted that immunological and inflammatory responses to biofilm components are manifested by signs and symptoms of periodontal disease. The outcome of such interaction is modulated by risk factors (modifiers), either inherent (genetic) or acquired (environmental), significantly affecting the initiation and progression of different periodontal disease phenotypes. While definitive genetic determinants responsible for either susceptibility or resistance to periodontal disease have yet to be identified, many factors affecting the pathogenesis have been described, including smoking, diabetes, obesity, medications, and nutrition. Currently, periodontal diseases are classified based upon clinical disease traits using radiographs and clinical examination. Advances in genomics, molecular biology, and personalized medicine may result in new guidelines for unambiguous disease definition and diagnosis in the future. Recent studies have implied relationships between periodontal diseases and systemic conditions. Answering critical questions regarding host‐parasite interactions in periodontal diseases may provide new insight in the pathogenesis of other biomedical disorders. Therapeutic efforts have focused on the microbial nature of the infection, as active treatment centers on biofilm disruption by non‐surgical mechanical debridement with antimicrobial and sometimes anti‐inflammatory adjuncts. The surgical treatment aims at gaining access to periodontal lesions and correcting unfavorable gingival/osseous contours to achieve a periodontal architecture that will provide for more effective oral hygiene and periodontal maintenance. In addition, advances in tissue engineering have provided innovative means to regenerate/repair periodontal defects, based upon principles of guided tissue regeneration and utilization of growth factors/biologic mediators. To maintain periodontal stability, these treatments need to be supplemented with long‐term maintenance (supportive periodontal therapy) programs