LA EDUCACIÓN COMO ACTO POLÍTICO: EL PAPEL DE LA COMUNIDAD EN LA FORMACIÓN HUMANA

Abstract

This article analyzes education as a political practice by examining the tension between the liberal-individualist conception of education and theoretical approaches that emphasize the role of community, substantive freedom, and critical pedagogy in human and social formation. Grounded in a qualitative, analytical-conceptual bibliographic study, the paper engages with authors from liberal thought, the political economy of development, and critical pedagogy, with particular emphasis on Milton Friedman, Amartya Sen, Paulo Freire, and Bell Hooks. The analysis highlights that educational models guided by market logic tend to reinforce individualistic and utilitarian practices, contributing to social isolation and the weakening of communal bonds. In contrast, community-based and emancipatory perspectives on education expand substantive freedoms, strengthen a sense of belonging, and foster collective praxis. The study concludes that education, understood as a political and communal practice, is a central element in promoting human, social, and economic development from a critical and inclusive perspective.