Abstract

GINER ESPIN, Arantzazu; SALDIVAR MORENO, Antonio; DUARTE CRUZ, José María  and  KECK, Charles. Re-thinking coloniality and deconaliality from a critical intercultural perspective: the case of a non-formal education space in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Sinéctica [online]. 2018, n.50. ISSN 2007-7033.  https://doi.org/10.31391/s2007-7033(2018)0050-005.

In Chiapas, a Mexican southern state, non-formal education spaces have increased rapidly after “Zapatista Movement” in 1994. Nevertheless, recently some scholars have questioned certain activities carried out in these spaces because they find contradictions in the struggle against social exclusion. In this research paper, we analyzed with a reflexive point of view and with a critical approach the results obtained in a study performed in one of these spaces of non-formal education in which social transformation is promoted as an answer for the social exclusion problem. Here, we pointed out the delicate line that exists between actions and discourses in these non-formal education spaces. To reach this goal, we worked with a critical intercultural perspective and thus, we carried out an exercise to re-thinking space, relationships and social-educative practices in Amalgama, A. C. (fictional name), a non-formal education space located in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. As a result, we found out, on one hand that in the space, in the relationships and in the social-educative practice of Amalgama, A.C. there are elements of the colonial-capitalist-patriarchal structure, and such elements are closer to the coloniality than we expected at the beginning. On the other hand, this exercise allowed us to recover the perceptions of the educators to re-signifying this space, relationships and social-educative practice to eventually make social transformations encouraged them since the decolonial pedagogical approach.

Keywords : non formal education espace; critical intercultural; social-educative practice; coloniality; (des)situation; decolonial approach.