Abstract

TREVINO RONZON, Ernesto. Encountering risk: Teachers confronting violence in Veracruz. Perfiles educativos [online]. 2017, vol.39, n.158, pp.20-37. ISSN 0185-2698.

This article addresses some implications of the criminal violence experienced by teachers and the basic education communities in which they work in the central region of Veracruz. The conceptual foundation for the discussion is provided through the notions of significance, subject and violence. Methodologically, the focus is on analyzing teachers’ discourse recorded through focus group and interview techniques. The author indicates how teachers experience situations characterized by insecurity and risk, how they assign new meaning to these situations, and how the subjects evolve, given the need to act in response to these situations. The author’s findings indicate that insecurity presents unprecedented challenges for teachers’ work and their personal lives. And although teachers may reflect upon the implications of the current context, their margins for action are extremely limited, and this is further accentuated by the lack of any significant institutional support.

Keywords : Risk; School violence; Discourse analysis; Significance; Subjectivity; Subject.