CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND DECOLONIAL THOUGHT IN CIVIC EDUCATION

Abstract

Citizenship education constitutes one of the main challenges of contemporary education, especially in light of the persistent social, cultural, and epistemological inequalities that characterize Latin American societies. In this context, critical pedagogy and decolonial thought emerge as fundamental theoretical frameworks for the development of educational practices committed to human emancipation, social justice, and the appreciation of diverse forms of knowledge. This article aims to analyze the contributions of critical pedagogy and decolonial thought to citizenship education in the contemporary educational context. The study is based on bibliographic research, adopting a qualitative approach, exploratory objectives, and the deductive method. It draws upon recent scholarly works on decolonial education, anti-racist education, critical interculturality, decolonial literacy, and citizenship education. The findings indicate that the articulation between critical pedagogy and decoloniality fosters the development of critical consciousness, the recognition of multiple cultural identities, and the expansion of democratic participation in social spaces. It is concluded that citizenship education, when guided by critical and decolonial perspectives, contributes to the construction of an educational model committed to social transformation, inclusion, and the recognition of historically marginalized groups.