Cultural studies, education, and the apocalyptic threat of war (Vol. 44, No. 2)

Abstract

The influence of militarism and war on education has long been a significant concern for Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies (REPCS), especially in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, which saw waning Cold War imperial imaginaries revivified and repurposed for the “war on terror.” During the two decades since 9/11, a militarized culture has infiltrated education, not only through formal schooling, but bellicose public pedagogies as well. As Henry Giroux, former editor-inchief of REPCS, has illuminated at length in his work, there is a fundamental contradiction between war and militarism, on one hand, and democratic life, on the other. Given the journal’s historical role in publishing critical scholarship concerned with the relationship between militarism, war, and education, we take the editorial stance that understanding the role of education in struggles over war and peace, imperialism and militarism, and the global prospect of democracy, equality, and justice, is crucial for cultural studies. Beyond Giroux’s extensive work on the matter, REPCS authors have addressed the important intersections of many related topics, including the gendered implications of militarism, such as the role of masculinity in its expansion, as well as the fundamental threat militarism poses to women (Armato et al., 2013; Goodman, 2010; Hammer, 2003; Kellner, 2013); the impact of militarism on universities, schools, and youth (Armitage, 2005; Lewis, 2003); the integration of militarism and war with education policy and reform movements (Mookerjea, 2009; Nguyen, 2013; Saltman, 2006; Tamatea, 2008); and the manner in which war and militarism degrade academic freedom, higher education, and university cultures (Ivie, 2005; Ternes, 2016). There is little to suggest that the relevance of such concerns has decreased in any significant way. In fact, there have been historical developments, such as deepening crises of global capitalism, rising geopolitical conflicts, resurgent authoritarianism, further ecological ruin, and nuclear proliferation that, we would argue, heighten the stakes and the need for scholarship that addresses militarized culture, education, and the catastrophic dangers of war in our time. Moreover, education and pedagogy remain central to building capacities to understand these developments and to foster opposition to perpetual war and the existential threat it poses today. It is no coincidence that we write this editorial just over a month into the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine, a mid-sized country, but with no fewer than fifteen nuclear reactors, all of which are vulnerable to military incursion and indiscriminate bombing. There have been reports of fires at nuclear facilities, such as at the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia plants. Russia has also put its nuclear forces on alert and has made the use of tactical nuclear weapons part of its military doctrine. Cities have been leveled. Millions have already been displaced, maimed, or killed. Agriculture has