| The dissertation examines the contemporary crisis of democracy and its relationship to what I argue is a pervasive cynicism cutting across traditional political lines. I locate this cynicism in the intertwined economic, political and social spheres, marked by the triumvirate of neoliberal discourse and rationality, politics and the spectacle society, and the atomization, insecurity and ironic distance of the "postmodern" condition. It then focuses on education and media as two of the key institutions effectively "teaching" cynicism to their audiences and ways to build on current efforts to restore hope and empowerment.;I define cynicism as both an ontological and psychological condition where a dour view of humanity, distrust in social institutions, and lack of hope in the possibility of change predominate, arguing it engenders a loss of faith in reason and science that undermines ideology critique. Within education, I argue a number of factors work towards imbuing students with cynical attitudes, focusing on the instrumentalization of knowledge, overly positivistic research, depoliticizing of the classroom and deficit theories and other barriers to equality of access and opportunity. Regarding media, I argue for its central role in establishing normative values, beliefs and desires, looking at the effects of the culture of the cool, superhero and American monomyth films and the dissolution of the imagination, utopia and collective social transformation.;I conclude by advocating a new pedagogy that reestablishes the close connection between politics and education, incorporates arts and critical multiple literacy education at all levels, makes civics engagement constitutive and that works to challenge instrumental and technological rationality. I argue that we must capitalize on current media reform efforts and alternative media outlets and films that challenge dominant discourse and rationality. And I argue for a more affirmative political discourse that transcends critique, for campaign finance reform and public financing of elections, for solidarity in diversity and a serious reengagement with utopia. I ultimately argue that hope is essentially to overcoming cynicism and that it thus a central charges of progressive and critical teachers and professors to embrace their role as public intellectuals working to empower future generations for social action. |
