How Does Literature Represent Culture? Analysis of Curricular Discourses from the Perspective of Critical Pedagogy

Abstract

This paper examines the contemporary dilemmas and cultural mediation possibilities of Hungarian secondary school literature teaching from the perspective of critical pedagogical theory. Its starting point is that curriculum debates are not merely organized around questions of content and methodology but also carry deeper ideological and educational theoretical implications. The study argues that the conceptualization of literature as a subject must be based on educational objectives, which are necessarily based on ideological choices, and therefore it is essential to examine the mediated cultural concepts transparently. In connection with curriculum reforms, the author distinguishes and analyses three dominant approaches in the Hungarian discourse, based on the writings and studies of significant political, professional, and public opinion-shaping figures involved in literature teaching: the postmodern trend emphasizing pluralism, the traditionalist-populist educational policy paradigm after 2010, and the critical tradition based on the concept of emancipatory literacy. The comparative analysis reveals the internal tensions within these concepts and how they shape the representation of culture and literature in schools. The author points out that current discourses tend to either homogenize cultural diversity, perpetuate normative traditions, or overemphasize the democratizing role of cultural literacy. From the perspective of critical pedagogy, therefore, it is important to note that committing to a single position is not sufficient for the renewal of literature teaching; rather, a new, reflexive framework is needed that is capable of exploring the social, pedagogical, and ideological dimensions of cultural transmission and providing critical perspectives for future curriculum development.