The City from the Perspective of Activism and Visual Culture: Generating an Urban Vision among Teachers

Abstract

In my view it is important to create elements that belong to teachers. As a group, teachers are divided by procedures, laws and speci c situations. Aware of the differences that separate us, we should encourage the creation of common spaces where we can feel more united. We must bridge the gaps between teachers at all levels: nursery school, primary school, secondary school and university. Cultural studies, and more speci cally, visual culture, are developing effective strategies for generating common environments and transit sites, areas where we can all share issues that affect us. Building an urban vision that belongs to teachers means uncovering the af nities that de ne us. This endeavour begins with a proposal for an encounter with teachers’ speci c visions. Over many years we have gathered opinions and images to learn more about how teachers understand their city. Using pho- tographs and interviews we analyse the elements that most motivate teachers in each place. We try to discover, through texts and images, teachers’ visions of their cities, and how the reality they experience can be improved. This paper reflects the opinions of Uruguayan, Argentine, Chilean, Peruvian and Spanish teachers.