Emo-entrepreneurs: Critical analysis of a legislative project on emotional education in Chile

Abstract

Emotions have emerged as a focal point of governance within modern educational frameworks, involving both supranational entities and national governments, albeit with emerging contributions from new stakeholders offering perspectives on emotional aspects in education. This paper undertakes a discursive analysis of the formulation and dissemination of a legislative initiative concerning emotional education in Chile. Specifically, it examines the efforts of Fundación Liderazgo Chile, a civil society organization, which engaged in vigorous lobbying and media campaigns to obtain legislative approval. Emotions are posited as arenas of social control, shaping the discourse that influences educational policy contexts. A political discourse analysis of 23 documentary sources produced and disseminated by Fundación Liderazgo Chile reveals three key findings: first, the portrayal of contemporary society as deprived and violent; second, the depiction of educational stakeholders as lacking emotional literacy; and third, the advocacy for solutions focused on individual emotional training. The concept of “emo-entrepreneurs” is introduced to describe actors influencing educational policy through emotional lenses while potentially overlooking other dimensions of educational challenges. Lastly, the paper identifies risks associated with the legal and mandatory enforcement of legislative initiatives of this nature.