The Invention of the Post-Neoliberal Citizen: A Typology of Curriculum Reforms During Latin America’s “Pink Tide”

This article examines how, during the period known as the "Pink Tide" (c. 2006–2016), progressive governments in Latin America positioned education as a key site for forging a new, post-neoliberal citizen. Responding to the social and political crises engendered by market-led reforms, these governments sought to redefine the purpose of schooling, moving away from a narrow focus on "human capital" toward the construction of a new political subject. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by moving beyond national case studies to ask: What models of citizenship emerged from these reforms, and how can they be classified and understood within a regional comparative framework? The research employs a comparative documentary analysis of curriculum policies in seven countries—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Costa Rica—and justifies the use of typology construction as a rigorous analytical tool for concept formation and cross-case synthesis (Collier, LaPorte, & Seawright, 2012). The principal finding is that, rather than a single, homogeneous model, a spectrum of divergent "technopolitical assemblages" emerged. These varied outcomes were decisively shaped by the distinct political logics and arenas of policy formulation within each national context. The article's main contribution is a novel regional typology that classifies these citizenship models, complicating our understanding of policy transfer and the political sociology of the curriculum during one of the most intense periods of educational reform in recent Latin American history.