Dissonance or consonance of my academic history with respect to the literate city?

Abstract

This article depicts a journey through Ángel de Rama ́s main ideas in his book “THE LETTERED CITY” [“LA CIUDAD LETRADA,” original title in Spanish] as contrasted with our academic culture. The statements thereby approached relate to the enforcement of order from the [Spanish] conquistadors, the seizing of land, and the imposition of their thoughts. It also analyzes the role of educational institutions in our society, making allusion to the contributions of relevant authors in history which, furthermore, support Rama ́s statements. In like manner, it also analyzes the configuration of the curriculum and the evident training crisis in university graduates, specifically of those graduating from the Major in Education. Therefore, this work expects to make a critical review to the traditional reproduction of knowledge. It reflects the chain of reproduction of the western culture which has been based on the Greco-Roman culture, and the way in which the western logos was established in the minds of the Latin American academics. Through hegemony, the imposition of such system, its beliefs and ideology are linked in order to obtain a planned function of society. The text highlights that the use of writing is what marks the beginning of civilization.