Application of Critical Theory in the Systemic Cycle of Education Policy

پژوهش نامه مبانی تعلیم و تربیت

Volume 13, Issue 1 - Serial Number 25, August 2024, Pages 73-94   

Document Type: پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/fedu.2023.81563.1255

Authors

Elaheh Valizadeh¹; Rohollah Eslami^{* 2}

¹Master of Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

²Assistant Professor of Political Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Public policy-making means the government in action, that is, what decisions the government makes in public matters, for which groups, with what tools, and what results are obtained from these decisions. Education policymaking means designing and implementing policies that the government uses in the field of education. Education policy in all countries is one of the three policy issues. Education is a socialization device for the government, and for this reason, governments use education as a public good to reproduce legitimacy. In this article, the issue is whether it is possible to organize the policy cycle based on critical theory. The policy cycle has stages such as system input, design, policy implementation and output, and evaluation and feedback. In this article, we try to examine the education policy cycle from a critical perspective by using the critical theories of Jürgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, and Louis Althusser. The findings of the article show that critical theory is an approach that tries to organize a new space for educational policies in terms of public domain, communication wisdom, power fields, and the ideological structure of government. The article is the application of critical theory in the policy cycle of education, which can be used as a basis for future research.
Keywords: ideology; public policy; education; critical theory; Althusser; Habermas; Bourdieu
 
Synopsis
Understanding how government functions in addressing public affairs requires studying its practical aspects. Public policy is a scientific field that delves into this process. Public policy is a multidimensional term composed of "policy" and "public." The term "policy" encompasses different meanings and functions in English, such as Polity, Politics, and Policy. Polity refers to formal institutional structures in a political system, Politics involves political processes, and Policy pertains to the collection of actions and analysis within a political system. In the context of public policy, the term "policy" refers to the concept of "Policy" (Knill & Tosun, 2012, pp. 3-4).
The understanding of the term "policy" in public policy points towards the concept of Policy derived from the Greek polis, which is rooted in the political discourse of the Greeks (Attarzadeh, 2021, p. 30). "Any action undertaken by governments that represent agreed-upon responses to specific conditions" is referred to as public policy (Araral et al., 2013, p. 4).
Public policy-making is the selection of actions by governmental authorities to address specific public concerns (Cochran et al., 2009, pp. 1-2). It involves a process of decision-making and specific actions in response to a problem that has raised public concerns.
Public policy often deals with decision-making processes and specific actions supported by governmental powers to provide solutions for public issues (Smith & Larimer, 2009, p. 4). The key features of public policy-making include the selection of actions from among goals and options. Birkeland enumerates the main features of public policy as follows: Public policy is a response to problems raised by the public, and the government tries to find solutions for it through targeting and interaction with non-governmental actors. Therefore, public policy is what the government chooses to do or not do (Birkland, 2016, pp. 8-9) key features of public policy-making include the selection of actions from among goals and options.
The study of government performance in addressing public issues considers both its practical aspects and theoretical dimensions. It evaluates government actions and identifies weaknesses and solutions by integrating critical theories such as those of Althusser, Habermas, and Bourdieu. Public policy in education aims to empower individuals, reduce social inequalities, and promote social cohesion. The government's role in educational policy is globally significant, impacting institutions and daily experiences.
 Analyzing and evaluating government performance involves both practical identification and theoretical assessment. While practical analysis considers how governments function, evaluation involves identifying weaknesses and proposing solutions, necessitating theoretical insights from the field of political science. By incorporating critical theories into educational policy-making, alternative solutions can be explored. Critical theories challenge established structures, prioritize citizen input, and question the neutrality of educational systems. Public policy in education should go beyond engineering solutions to engage human interests and encourage creativity.
In conclusion, understanding and evaluating government performance in public policy requires a combination of practical analysis and theoretical insights. Critical theories challenge conventional practices and offer alternatives for policy-making, particularly in education. This approach emphasizes citizen engagement, challenges ideological constructs, and provides a more comprehensive perspective on policy processes.
Neo-Marxist writers believe that the purpose of public policy is merely to reproduce or accentuate the divide between social classes” (Knoepfel et al., 2007, p. 22). Therefore, there is no place for social transformations or changes in various socio-political situations in the field of policymaking knowledge according to this approach (Seyed Emami, 2023, p. 84).
With the twin correlation of the science of public policy in its practical aspects and the science of politics in its theoretical aspects, it takes policymaking out of a mere positivist approach and by adding theoretical dimensions to it, gives public policy an epistemological order. Public policy examines the performance of the government in public issues of concern to society. General issues of society include education, health, security, health, etc. This article tries to examine the science of policy-making in the field of education. "Education policy is a set of policies and programs that the government adopts to expand public education to empower people and develop their abilities to reduce social inequality and social cohesion" (Qarakhani, 2019, p. 105).
Education policy refers to the will of the government in educational matters such as curricula, teacher training, student recruitment, support and scholarships, curriculum content, and education methods. "The government almost universally plays a fundamental role in providing or regulating educational services. Therefore, government policy, both national and local, has a significant impact on shaping the daily events of schools and colleges and the daily experiences of those who study and work in those institutions" (Bell & Stevenson, 2020, p. 15).
How the government works in education policy making use of critical ideas of thinkers such as Louis Althusser, Jürgen Habermas, and Pierre Bourdieu is the issue of this article. For this purpose, we are looking for an answer to the question, what are the solutions for using critical theory in the policy cycle of education? The research aims to prepare a theory for the policy cycle of education by combining the three theories of political sociology of Althusser, Bourdieu, and Habermas. There is no work in this matter because the education policy cycle is often written with a systemic approach and positivist analysis.
 
Application of critical theory in the education policy cycle




 


Althusser


Habermas


Bourdieu




Entrance


 Determination by the logic of capitalism
- Orientation by the ideological structures of the government


- Public domain
- Globalization


- Field of power, field of knowledge
- The culture of the dominant class
- Economic, political, and cultural capital




Designing


- Ideology


- Ideology
- One-sided and without dialogue
- Profit and economic incentives
- Consolidation of the structure of the dominant class


- Limited access to cultural capital
- Absence of purely scientific and specialized space
- Strengthening the class base of the rulers
- Legitimizing superstructure
- Heritage




Performance


- Limited access to cultural capital
- Absence of purely scientific and specialized space
- Strengthening the class base of the rulers
- Legitimizing superstructure
- Heritage


- A one-dimensional approach
- Based on instrumental reason
- The prevalence of positivist sciences
- Attention to the human and social environment
- Communicative action


- Sacred and inviolable structure
- Heritage
- Capital and facilities for the ruling class
- Maintaining the construction of capitalism




output


- Obedient and orderly people
- Hierarchical system
- Ideological
- Stabilization of the political system


- monophonic
- Bourgeoisization of the public domain
- People without thinking and creativity


- Strengthening the class system
- The legitimacy of the dominant culture
- Lack of fair competition
Arbitrary selection system




policy


- Fundamental change
- Criticism of the status quo


- Revival of the public domain
- Expansion of communication action
- Critical thinking


- Challenging the legitimizing superstructure
- Disclosure of symbolic powers




 
Conclusion
The dominant atmosphere on education policy is the positivist approach, functional and systemic theories. Critical theory and concepts arising from the thoughts of Althusser, Habermas, and Bourdieu challenge the mainstream of education policy. From the point of view of critical theory, what is prevalent in the mainstream is the consolidation of capitalist hegemony and the imitation of repetitive and conservative structures that have denied the possibility of creativity.
Education policymaking, especially in the policymaking cycle, can use critical theories to criticize the current situation and provide alternative solutions. At the level of system inputs, citizens' opinions can be prioritized with the concepts of critical theory, in design, issues arising from critical dialogue in the public domain can be formalized, and in implementation, attention can be paid to other human interests by passing engineering measures. From the perspective of critical theory, positivist educational policies are scientific and neutral. What is going on is a field that is a place of power conflict between actors who intend to increase social and cultural capital. Critical theory challenges official policies, considers school and the educational system to be the most important ideological mechanism of power, and believes that school and science are not neutral, but legitimizing superstructures that deny the possibility of struggle and resistance.

Keywords

ideology; public policy; education; critical theory; Althusser; Habermas; Bourdieu

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