Utopian thinking in higher education and its relationship with social movements: Reshaping societal roles to build alternative worlds
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In the post-pandemic world, the socio-political and economic landscape presents extraordinary challenges, including humanitarian crises, climate issues, escalating inequality, poverty and marginalisation. How can we reimagine and reconceptualise societal frameworks to foster a more egalitarian and just society? This study advocates for the concept of “insurgent utopia”, a subset of the broader notion of “concrete” or “real” utopia elaborated by Levitas (2010, 2013) and Wright (2010) respectively. Focusing on Brazil, this research examines the role of public higher education institutions (HEIs) in effecting societal change, with an emphasis on their cultural and social contributions and their engagement with social movements committed to transformation.
This research builds on theoretical foundations drawing from discussions of political, humanitarian, economic and environmental crises, the roles of universities in these contexts and the potential for transition models to create a more equitable and sustainable society. It underscores the value of utopia as a pedagogical process and a method for exploring possibilities through an academic lens, marrying hope with education, as expounded by Bloch (1996) and advocated by Freire (2005).
Methodologically, this research applies a critical realist approach, emphasising reflective science and “responsible critique” (Elder-Vass, 2022). The methodological plan employs dialogic techniques and the extended case method (Burawoy, 1998); and is committed to “research as militancy”. This approach enhances the methodological application of critical, emancipatory, and militant ethnography, all the while endorsing the concept of plural knowledge development, as explored in this thesis. The empirical research involves three ethnographic case studies in Brazil: the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA), the Popular University of Social Movements (UPMS) and the Florestan Fernandes National School (ENFF). These cases illustrate various interactions of universities with specific social groups in promoting transitions to alternative futures, particularly by exploring what is characterized as their “third mission.”
The study yields three key findings: (a) concrete utopia is most effective when championed by those directly affected by the desired transformation; (b) transition projects gain strength by incorporating insurgent utopias, emphasising engagement and pedagogical experimentation and valuing collective action; and (c) universities can expand their social role by actively collaborating with social movements, becoming allies in social transformation processes, promoting responsible criticism and providing a fertile space for experiments that explore the realm of possibilities within rigid structures, as articulated by the concept of “sowing” (Walsh, 2017).
The primary contribution of this research lies in proposing an adaptable transition framework that can be discussed, applied and refined in practice, inspiring academics to reassess the role of universities in societal transformation. As for its limitations, the study initially relied on virtual interactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting to in- person research once pandemic-related restrictions were lifted.