Critical Pedagogy in a Time of Fascist Tyranny

This keynote emphasizes that educators must reclaim education's democratic mission by embracing critical pedagogy—a practice that encourages students to think against the grain, question power structures, and become agents of social transformation rather than passive consumers. Giroux distinguishes between "political education" (teaching students about power and social relationships) and "politicizing education" (indoctrination), arguing that neutrality in education is neither possible nor desirable in times of crisis. He concludes with practical suggestions for educators to resist authoritarianism, including defending education as a public good, teaching multiple literacies, encouraging students to become "troublemakers" and cultural producers, and maintaining hope as a precondition for democratic agency and social change.

"We now live in a world that resembles a dystopian novel... Education has increasingly become a tool of domination, as right wing pedagogical apparatuses controlled by the entrepreneurs of hate attack workers, the poor, people of color, refugees, undocumented immigrants, LGBTQ people, and others increasingly considered disposable."

"Ignorance now rules America. Not the simple alleged ignorance that comes from an absence of knowledge, but a malicious ignorance forged in the arrogance of refusing to think hard about an issue... 'Ignorance aligned with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.'" (quoting James Baldwin)

"Students need to learn how to think dangerously... They need to learn, as bell hooks once said, how to talk back. They need to have enough confidence in their own knowledge and their modes of self determination, to feel the energy of what it means to be an agent and not just a consumer."

• How does Giroux distinguish between neoliberalism and outright fascism in their impact on education? What are the different mechanisms each uses to undermine democratic education?
• Giroux calls for educators to make students both "cultural critics and cultural producers." What would this look like in your subject area or grade level?
• Given Giroux's critique of corporate models reducing education to job training, how can educators balance preparing students for economic realities while fostering critical consciousness?