Meanings of social justice. A critique of three plans of study for basic education

Resumen

This article analyzes the meanings of social justice as found in three plans of study for basic education (preschool 2004, secondary school 2006, and elementary school 2009). The selection of academic material is related to two issues. First, the World Education Forum ratified the Framework for Action for the Americas, a document that considers basic education to be a fundamental human right, with social justice as its mainstay. Second, and as a consequence of the Forum, the curriculum of Mexico’s basic education was renovated during the first decade of the 21st century. Due to the priorities of this article, analysis excludes the revision of the 2011 plan of study, which is still in effect in the nation’s educational system. The article’s underlying argument is that in the indicated plans of study, social justice acquires meaning in a reductionist manner with regard to social multiplicity and complexity. In organizational terms, the article begins with a conceptual genealogy of social justice, followed by an analysis of its meanings based on certain categories (of theory and argumentation), and closes with analytical statements.