Abstract:
This dissertation, developed within the research line Education, Culture, Theories, and Pedagogical Processes of the Graduate Program in Education at Centro Universitário Mais — UniMais, aimed to investigate the role of emancipatory education in confronting fake news from a critical perspective. It incorporates and expands upon the reflections of prominent theorists, including Adorno (1995), Arendt (1967, 1972, 1989), Bauman (2001), Chauí (1980), Fisher (2020; 2021), and Freud (1920/2011). The study was based on a bibliographic review, seeking to explore the theoretical contributions of these authors within the broad scope of emancipatory and critical education. Discourse analysis was employed as a methodological tool to examine the intersections between the ideas of the aforementioned thinkers and other intellectuals on themes such as emancipation, subjectivity, and critique of mass culture, relating them to the phenomenon of fake news. Through this approach, the study investigated how critical educational practices may serve as forms of resistance against the spread of disinformation. Initially, it presented reflections on emancipation, cultural industry, and the alienation of the masses—vital elements for understanding how fake news are embedded within systems of manipulation and control. Subsequently, it sought to elucidate the psychological mechanisms that underlie the acceptance of fake news, also highlighting the importance of education as a “vaccine” against disinformation. Finally, it aimed to understand the dynamics of digital networks in the mass dissemination of fake news and in the manipulation of emotions, particularly through the political use of lies and fear.
