A global student anger? A comparative analysis of student movements in Chile (2011), Quebec (2012), and Hong-Kong (2014)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Are we witnessing the rise of ‘global’ student protests, in the wake of austerity policies and globalised educational reforms? To answer this question, this article draws on a comparison of the claims, anger, and hope present in three post-2008 student movements: the student movement in Santiago, Chile (2011–2012), the ‘Maple Spring’ in Montreal, Canada (2012), and the ‘Umbrella Movement’ in Hong Kong (2014). The comparative method aims to identify the extent to which these movements conveyed a common political discourse about the world. The comparison is based on a statistical and qualitative analysis of protest texts (slogans, placards, and posters) collected directly at each of the disputes (n = 1100). The article shows that, beyond their differences, there is indeed a common pattern emerging from all these movements, based on the articulation of three main principles: education, intergenerational justice, and democracy.