Labour reforms and political subjectivity: Impact on union action and teacher identity in Medellín

Abstract

This article analyzes the configuration of political subjectivity and union participation among teachers in Commune 7 of Medellín. The central purpose is to analyze how job insecurity and the dual Colombian legal framework (Decrees 2277 of 1979 and 1278 of 2002) influence the teacher's identity as a cultural worker. The theoretical framework is rooted in critical pedagogy, addressing concepts such as Stephen Ball's neoliberalization of education and Henry Giroux's resistance to "manufactured ignorance." Methodologically, the positivist paradigm was employed with a quantitative approach and a non-experimental, descriptive-analytical design. The study included a sample of 91 teachers who completed a structured digital questionnaire. Data were processed using descriptive statistics and tests of association. The results reveal an ontological contradiction: although 38.5% theoretically identify as political subjects, 79.1% lack real experience in the political-union sphere. The study concludes that precarious employment and bureaucratic burdens have "disciplined" subjectivity, shifting the focus from collective interest to individual survival. Furthermore, the fragmented legal framework acts as a segregating mechanism that weakens union cohesion. The study highlights the urgent need to repoliticize teaching to overcome the pragmatic subjectivity imposed by the neoliberal model and reclaim the teacher's role as an intellectual agent of social transformation.