Neoliberalism prevails: how structural reforms have failed to shift values and beliefs in Chile’s education system

Chile is a case study for examining the outcomes of applying neoliberal mechanisms such as privatization, choice, and competition to provide public services. Academics worldwide have demonstrated the exacerbation of educational inequity and the across-school segregation enhanced by this model. Extreme stratification triggered profound dissatisfaction, prompting massive protests and deep structural reforms aimed at reversing neoliberalism. Despite these efforts, the underlying principles sustaining the social order induced by neoliberal logics still prevail in Chile. Drawing on more than 600 hours of participant observation and over 100 interviews, this ethnographic case study utilizes the zone of mediation as conceptual guidance to reveal the journey of a social-justice-oriented school in Chile that attempted to transition toward a democratic model of education. Through a micro-, meso-, and macro-level analysis, this empirical research illuminates the challenges of disentangling the neoliberal framework from people’s hearts and minds, despite individuals’ genuine commitment to social justice.