Citizenship, Education, and Political Crisis in Spain and Catalonia: Limits and Possibilities for the Exercise of Critical Citizenship at School

Abstract

The process of the independence of Catalonia has generated great interest on the part of international analysts as well as among a part of the citizenry while also producing disputes and controversy that have grown with the passage of time. This controversy lies, at first glance, in the opposition of interests defended by independentist sectors (who want the independence of Catalonia) and unionists (defenders of the unity of Spain). However, deeper analysis reveals another element of discord: the latent concept of citizenship.

This chapter deals with six aspects: first, it briefly addresses the concept of citizenship used in the chapter; second, it situates Catalonia within the framework of Spain; third, it analyzes the process of political recentralization and its consequences (citizen mobilization, referendum, and use of police violence by the State); and fourth, it addresses the issue of education and language as a weapon of political combat. This is followed by a section explaining the process of participation in favor of the right to decide and a presentation of the arguments used to counter the independence movement. The chapter concludes with a section devoted to analyzing the relationship between education, citizenship, and politics and a proposal to encourage political and citizen debate that can be framed beyond the Catalan-Spanish context.

English translation by Michael Weiss