Schooling party life – A frame analysis of Spanish left parties’ intra-party education

Figures & data

Table 1. The parties’ weekend schools.

Theme for weekend school
	PSOE	IU	Podemos
2017		No overall theme. Instead, the following sessions are listed: To debate and understand a country’s project // Why Marx was right* // The lies of Spanish capitalism // Feminism with class // Europe from the south* // Creating alliances // Radical democracy* // Lessons from Latin America (15–17 September) *Book titles	Communication, power and democracy (6–9 July)
2018	Youth: challenges and opportunities (9–13 July)	The new working class in Spain (and Europe): configuration, conflicts and political behaviour (21–22 April)	We’re doing the change (12–14 October)
2019	Philosophy, technology and media: political information in the age of global communication (8–12 July)	Three social concepts: social class, state theory and ecofeminism (13–15 September)	Permanent school for public work (online course)
2020	Women and leadership in times of crisis: the impact of gender, leadership and management before, during and after Covid (27–29 July)

Table 2. The organisation of the party schools.

	PSOE	IU	Podemos
(1) What are the schools about?	Policy issues (youth, new technology, women and leadership)	Theory/ideology Marxism (the new working class, concepts such as the social class, state theory and ecofeminism)	Theory/ideology and practice (communication, power and democracy, we are doing the change, permanent school for public officers)
(2) How are the schools organised? Form Teacher/student relationship Theory/practice	Round-table discussions, seminars ‘Experts’ = politicians and academics -> members Policy-oriented Practical/technical	Round-table discussions, seminars, workshops, talks Politicians and academics -> members Ideological focus Practical elements	Round-table discussions, seminars, workshops, talks, circles (parallel sessions) Politicians, academics and representatives from civil society -> members and public officers Ideological content Practical/technical focus
(3) Why do parties provide education for their members?	To provide members with their educational right	To provide members with their educational right, especially those with little education	Education as a platform for influencing the party + education for public officers
Frame	Schooling for becoming a politician	Schooling for becoming a Marxist	Schooling for becoming a new type of politician