Different struggles, the same fight? A comparative analysis of student movements in Chile (2011), Quebec (2012), and Hong-Kong (2014)

Are we witnessing the rise of “global” student anger, born in the wake of austerity policies and globalized educational reforms? To answer this question, this chapter is based on a comparison of the claims made in 3 post-2008 student movements: the student movement in Santiago de Chile (2011-2012), the “Maple Spring” in Montreal (2012), and the “Umbrellas Movement” in Hong Kong (2014). The comparative method is based on the statistical and qualitative analysis of “words of anger”, that is, slogans, writings and posters, collected directly in each of the disputes (n=1100). The comparison aims to identify the different repertoires mobilized, but also the common issues between these three movements. The chapter shows that beyond their contrasts, the discourses come together on the same fundamental frame, which address three principal issues, related to one-another: the value of education, the injustice of education debt, and the democratic renewal.