The Politics and Pedagogy of Fascism and Anti-Fascism

• In Event: Capitalism and Its Fundamentalisms: Imperialism, Colonialism, and Democracy From the Standpoint of Revolutionary Learning

Abstract

The rise of Trump to power has reignited the question of fascism. The fascism of the 1930s, especially in its Nazi form, was a challenge to understand and there were many debates about what fascism is and what to do about it. Today's fascism is not the exact repeat of the fascism of the 20th century. It is happening under different global condition and it is important to understand the universals and the particulars of fascism.

Any study of fascism from pedagogical perspectives or for pedagogical purposes requires that we go beyond the description of this political philosophy and instead engage with a thorough explanation of the why and how. More specifically, the purpose of the pedagogy of fascism should not only be how to understand or oppose it but also how to overcome it. In the current literature on fascism or in discussions in media and in popular culture, one of the main obstacles to the understanding of fascism is dichotomization of democracy and fascism. These concepts are considered two opposites; two contrasting forms of social and political organizations.In this understanding, fascism is what democracy is not; democracy is the negation of fascism. This understanding is theoretical, political and ideological. We argue that a dialogical pedagogy of fascism has to defy this dualist thinking.

Drawing from ongoing research into the migration of young adults out of war zones in the Middle East, this paper examines the interrelations of fascism, democracy, and imperialism in political consciousness. Therefore, key questions are: What aspect of ‘civilization’ needs to be watched and traced to capture the gradual or sudden appearance of the reversal, that is, democracy turns into fascism? How informed and conscious citizens are of the ability of an elected government to transform liberal democracy to fascism? How do they understand the power relations between citizen and the state?

Author

• Shahrzad Mojab, OISE/University of Toronto