Narrative masking of social performance in education

To defeat narrative masking of immoral performance is an imperative for democratic societies (Plato, Gorgias (Ed. B. Jowett). The Internet Classical Archive. http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/gorgias.html, 380BC), if they are to pursue ideals of truth, ethical integrity, and social justice. This study anchors on the assumption that narrative competence is a cognitive system (Talmy, Towards a Cognitive Semantics, Volume II. Typology and Process in Concept Structuring. Language. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004, 2000) that shapes the dynamic framework and consistency of meaning at three levels: performative semantics, informative semantics, and existential semantics (Brandt, Rankings e Notas Das Escolas, 20 Anos Depois. Público, May 21. https://www.publico.pt/2021/05/21/sociedade/opiniao/rankings-notas-escolas-20-anos-1962972, 2020). From this stance, it performs a critical examination of how mass media, academic and governmental narratives about School’s Rankings trigger narratives that mask inequalities. In a second part, this chapter proceeds with an argument for a common cognitive structure for masking narratives. Using mental spaces and blending theory (Brandt, Rankings e Notas Das Escolas, 20 Anos Depois. Público, May 21. https://www.publico.pt/2021/05/21/sociedade/opiniao/rankings-notas-escolas-20-anos-1962972, 2020), it describes how different stories or narratives are generated, revealing how those narratives mask inequalities.