A critical examination of policies as curriculum and the pedagogy of spectacle: Deconstructing the "Florida way of life" education agenda

Abstract

When policies introduce a problem into discourse, they are often shrouded in spectacle to convey a sense of virtuous intent and urgency about the constructed problem. An example of this process is found in the defense of the “Florida way of life,” which is leveraged to legitimize the education legislative agenda imposed by the DeSantis administration. By treating these policies as curriculum and the spectacles the administration manufactures as pedagogy, we reveal a dangerous political agenda that seeks to fundamentally disrupt liberal democracy. By manipulating imagery, employing potent binary rhetoric, and consistently focusing on culturally divisive issues during policy formulation, Governor DeSantis and his administration have instructed Floridians about who and what to fear, how to fear it, why to fear it, and how to reproduce sanctioned narratives about these issues.