Postcolonial models, cultural transfers and transnational perspectives in Latin America: a research agenda

In this article we wish to propose a debate on postcolonialism and its role in the history of Latin American education. Our starting point is the acknowledgement of the reality that postcolonial historiographic perspectives have yet to be applied in studies of one of history's great empires, namely, the Spanish Empire. This is surprising for several reasons: firstly, because debate about postcolonialism has been very present in the culture, thought and politics of Latin America for many years; and secondly, because while the postcolonial approach can be found in the historiographic debate surrounding the Portuguese Empire and in recent comparative studies on the history of education in Portugal and Brazil, it has scarcely been brought up in the historiography of the Spanish Empire. We approach the subject by applying a genealogical and conceptual analysis of the three defining terms in this field of study: "postcolonial", "transnational" and "cultural transfers". The main body of the article analyses postcolonial approaches in cultural studies, contemplating a double perspective: that of the Iberian Peninsula, in which we analyse the emerging tendencies and trends in Spain and Portugal, and that of Latin America, for which we provide an overview of the various postcolonial discourses, focusing on some of their principal areas of reflection. Finally, we analyse the situation of postcolonial studies in the history of Latin American and Iberian education by pointing out current lines of investigation worthy of being included in this field and emphasising themes and approaches that concur with postcolonial theory. We analyse the trajectory of Spanish educational historiography in relation to that of Portugal, and propose future investigative agendas. The articles included in this special issue could be considered a sort of preview of this novel and engaging theme.