The carnival as a transformative pedagogical practice for social change: A case study from Chile

Abstract

This study aims to identify and analyze innovative and transformative pedagogical practices constructed for, and by, a school community in Chile through the implementation of an annual carnival to face emerging social challenges in their communities. To this end, we take on an ethnographic approach to the data collection process through participant observation, which encompassed observations of the planning and design process of the carnival, interviews and questionnaires to relevant social actors of the school community, and document analysis. Results suggest that the carnival favors the construction, maintenance, and resignification of a symbolic relationship across the school community in which it is possible to identify the ideas, expectations, and valuations of the community in their pursuit of social well-being and social change through quality and meaningful teaching and learning experiences. Consequently, the empirical findings in this study provide a new understanding of how learning and teaching practices can, in fact, challenge and overcome structural and institutional constraints in the construction and legitimation of meaningful socio-educational ecologies.