From normalist teacher to socialist ideologist: José de Jesús Barrón Zúñiga and his contributions in the Cardenista period (1934-1940)

Abstract

Among the most representative figures of the 20th century teaching profession, a group of normalist teachers who were the architects of political and educational projects that left a deep mark on society and who are currently representative of the socialist stage of education in Chihuahua (1934-1940) stands out. This research work deals with rescuing the life and work of José de Jesús Barrón Zúñiga, whose political ideology, proletarian origin and revolutionary spirit led him to go through a multifaceted life: that of a student leader, young teacher and established ideologist. The work is part of the project “Figuras del magisterio chihuahuense”, which seeks to rescue the biographies of the teachers whose contributions marked the course of the educational system in the state of Chihuahua in different stages and historical moments. The methodology for the development of the research is part of biographical studies, characterized by venturing into the lives of personages (alive or dead) that are relevant to a specific theme, for which primary sources located in the Municipal Historical Archive and in the Historical Archive of the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua are used. Additionally, information from oral testimonies obtained from interviews with family and friends of the personage in question is incorporated. The importance of this work lies in the fact of rescuing the personage’s educational contributions, since his work is unknown by current generations, in part because of the ideology he professed throughout his life.